My Smile Is Yours
by Royal Kenya
Summary: When you work hard and keep the faith, all your dreams will come true. But the side-effects are hurtful. You risk the chance of hurting the loved ones surrounding you. Yes, our loved ones are important. But sometimes, sacrifices must be made.-AU Fanfic-
1. Prologue

**Hello everybody! This Royal Kenya with her third story! Yay! I'm happy. Now that Lay Off My Guy is over I can finally put this story to work along with two others. Let me tell you that this story does not connect to my other. It's just an outcast. This isn't going to be long so I won't expect a review yet, but I promise to make it as interesting as I can.**

**Prologue**

**POV #1**

Singing. It's my life. If you ask me what other activities I do, I would only answer singing. Singing, singing, and singing. My parents don't care about anything else I do. They just want me to be some overly talented singing pop diva. I have other interests in my life besides singing. But don't get me wrong. I love singing, I could do that all day. But sometimes I think there's more to life than becoming famous. You know, like settling down. But I don't want to let my parents down. I love them too much.

**POV #2**

My parents would always tell me, that my good looks would take me far and I couldn't help but agree. I am very beautiful. My grandparents told me I was very special and it would lead me to my dreams. And who wouldn't agree? I consider myself on a higher level than anyone and I always will be. I'm snobbish you say? Don't try and tell me that. I'm just being me. You know, being dancer extraordinaire and a dancing prodigy. Everyone stares at me but I don't care what anyone else thinks. They're just jealous. Jealous they couldn't be as rich and successful as me.

**POV #3**

When someone tells me aren't you the sister of that rich girl, I say no. I rather keep my past life a secret. My life was full of dread. I have one of the richest families in the world. They own like all the biggest industries imaginable. And I would be proud of them, but there's just one thing. All my parents care about is money. They were around all the time, so I didn't feel too neglected. But I hated living in the mansion with them. They just don't understand me. So I luckily moved out and found a place in Nintendo. There was a reason I did this. I'm going to live without their money. I promise you I don't need their wealth to live my own special life. That's why I'm now on my own. My sister thought I was stupid in my actions, but I don't care. She's too absorbed into the finer things in life. I don't need them. I'm already managing a home of my own, without my stupid parents. I have a job thanks to one of my best friends. It's a job in modeling believe it or not. Sure it kills after a while, but at least I'm managing right?

**So, here it is. Not much. But I'll give you something to do. Why don't you see who's POV's these are. I'll give you a hint. They're all girls. So that sums it down. Now all you have to do is put the summaries with the right girl. I'll start on the next chapter and then you'll know who is who. Please review if you want to.**


	2. Chapter One

_Hey all! It's been a long while. I've finally updated. Now that school's out, we can get started and I am soon to start two other stories and possibly third. Yay me! Well, the 1st chapter I asked you all to guess who's POV is who's. Now you'll see. Let's get to it!_

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**Chapter One**

Time flowed through Joypadana like any other day. Everyone would go about their own ways and handle their own business. There were maybe a few greets passed through everyone if they were lucky. In this town, people would only greet you if you were worthy enough. You had to be apart of their life style. You would have to be wealthy and luxurious. That's all that mattered.

**Locker Room**

"Zelda! Zelda!"

Nineteen-year-old Zelda Harkinian turned around to the sound of her voice. She quietly groaned as she saw the younger beginner dancers coming up to her locker. She placed her hands on her hips, showing very little interest in what they had to say. "What is it? Erm… Amanda was it?"

"Actually it's Ashley," The blonde answered. Zelda didn't wasn't fazed by her correction. "We wanted to tell you congratulations! On your award!" said the blonde with hazel eyes. "That's like, the biggest award ever in any dancing career."

"Glad you keep up your studies on the fine arts awards," Zelda said as she flipped back around to her locker pulling out a large pink sports bag.

"There was a lot of competition out there," Ashley added. "I mean dancers came from all across the country. That's a lot of competition. You must have been ner-"

"I'm never nervous," Zelda said sharply. "If anyone was to be nervous, it should have been them. Dancing in a competition against them was like going against little preteens. Anything else? I must be going."

"…" the brunette with light brown eyes gulped. "We heard you are going off to that great big Fine Arts Studio in Nintendo," she said quietly.

"You heard correctly then," Zelda responded flatly.

The timid brunette continued, "We wanted to congratulate your achievement. Not everyone gets accepted to go there. You have to do a lot training to learn more techniques to dancing. Plus, I hear it's the best of the best and there's no other place greater than that school."

"We're hoping to get in there soon," Ashley piped in. "Sally and I have been practicing a lot of the competitions and we're going on almost two months now. We think we may be able to get into the studio too one day."

Zelda laughed at the younger dancer's supposedly humorous comment. "You really think you two are ready?" She watched the two girls nod. "Girls. I'll have to be honest with you. I watched your performance earlier and you two still need a lot of work," she said without any regret. "Your routine seemed to be well…sloppy."

"Sloppy?" Sally asked softly. "Was it really that bad?"

Zelda placed the ice skates she had in her hands down on the bench in front of her locker. "Oh no. Don't think of it that way. I mean you won first place. Nothing less I expect from a beginner class. I'm just telling you for future reference. If you think those moves you displayed on the ice and dance floor today will get you into Nintendo Fine Arts, I think you better spend more time studying the language of dance."

"Oh…" Ashley suddenly lost her bubbly attitude. "But...we were going to try our routine in the audition."

"Ladies. If you perform that routine in front of the judges, they'll laugh you to shame." Zelda let her bun loose and her blonde hair fell down her back. She looked back at the girls. "Now ladies, I'm only telling you this out of the kindness of my heart. I'm just trying to save you from humiliating yourselves."

"Right. We know that," Ashley said in a brighter mood. "Right Sal?"

Sally nodded and gave Zelda a weak smile. "Right. Good luck in Nintendo."

Zelda smirked. "Thanks but I won't be needing it." She placed the strap of her sports bag onto her shoulder. "I'm a dancing supreme with no flaws. You know if you practice enough, maybe, just maybe you'll make it to an intermediate class perhaps?" Without waiting for another response, she took off.

"So long girls. You'll be seeing my name in lights soon." She took off out of the locker room.

The two girls stared in awe. They both squealed as their eyes shined like stars. "She's so cool!" they said in unison.

Zelda flipped her blonde locks behind her neck. She couldn't wait to leave this place that was supposedly the best place to be. Joypadana. It was true her city was very rich in riches and the most desired place to live in the whole world. Only the luckiest of people received the chance to live there. And if they couldn't live there, they desired to receive a job there. Why did they want it so badly? People dreamed to be a part of the rich and successful life. They wanted the fancy cars and the big lovely mansions. It was everyone's dreams.

Every time Zelda would think about this, she would laugh. She thought it was hilarious to realize there were people who dreamed of being like her. She knew it could never happen. Her parents were very rich. In fact they were the richest in Joypadana. Zelda didn't even need to know how much money they have to realize her family was rich. She knew all this easily. She had the large mansion isolated from everyone else. They had an ocean view from the backyard. To be more specific, the large lake was part of their backyard.

That was enough to prove how rich her family was.

But even if she loved her rich life style, it was time to move on. She was still going to live on the high-class life. But it was time to make it even better by becoming famous in Nintendo. She knew that was where everyone would know her name and never forget it for centuries to come.

As Zelda kept thinking to herself, a girl brushed passed her quickly knocking the skates she was carrying out of her hand. The skates scraped against the concrete.

The girl flipped around and gasped. "Oh my goodness!"

Zelda looked in shock also. "My skates!"

The girl looked up at Zelda. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't see them!"

"_Sorry_ isn't going to fix my skates. You scratched them!" Zelda said angrily. "These are one of a kind skates. I may never be able to wear them again!"

"I really am sorry! Really!" The girl said in a type of plea. "I can pay for them."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "I'm sure there is no way someone like you can pay enough money to replace them. Just watch where I'm going next time." Without another reply Zelda snatched her ice skates out of the girl's hands and stormed off without a thank-you. "I swear. Kids these days. No respect for anything."

She pushed both the glass doors of the dance studio roughly open in frustration. She looked down at her new skates. "No respect at all."

"Miss Zelda!"

Zelda fixed her eyes on her nursemaid Impa. She put a smile on her face as she greeted her with a wave. Of all the people in the world besides her parents, she loved Impa. Impa was one of the only people who understood how Zelda was. Impa was not only a nursemaid to Zelda but also a good friend. She had been taking care of Zelda since she was a baby. Though, Impa was supposed to be treated with little care like every other maid in Zelda's mansion, she treated Impa much better. After all, she felt like she had to return the favor. If it wasn't for Impa's support and help in Zelda's dancing, she may have not been as great as she was right now.

"Hello, Impa! How are you today?" Zelda hurried down the long steps to the black limo at the bottom of the steps.

"Oh just the same. And you?"

"Great!" Zelda stopped right in front of her friend. "I have another trophy to add to my collection."

"I know. They already brought that beauty of a trophy to the car." Impa hugged her mistress. "I'm very proud of you."

She allowed her nursemaid to hug her. "Thank you. I couldn't have done it without your support."

"Well, come along. We have a two-hour drive to the airport. Then we'll transfer to the plane that will take us to Nintendo. And I want to hear all about the competition."

Zelda let go of Impa and nodded. "Okay. This day has finally come. I'm going to Nintendo." The two of them piled into the car. When they were seated, the car took off to its destination.

After a long silence in the car, Impa spoke again. "You may have noticed that your parents did not arrive at the competition."

"Oh. I knew that would happen Impa. That's typical." Zelda rested her back against the cold leather seat. "I wouldn't expect anything else so I didn't even try to look for them in the audience this time." Zelda glanced back at her skates. "Oh… I can't believe this."

"Something wrong?"

"This girl knocked into me and made me drop my skates. She scratched up the skates pretty bad. They are brand new." Zelda let out an aggravated noise.

"I see." Impa smiled a little as she looked at the skates. "I'm sure she didn't do it on purpose."

"I know. But kids can be so reckless," Zelda replied.

"Aren't you still considered a kid?" Impa asked.

"No. I'm a young adult. Meaning, I should have a bit more respect given to me by younger kids. Plus they should have respect for my things."

"Zelda, remember long ago you were reckless too. I remember a girl who started dancing, and she wasn't pretty good at it yet. So she would prance around practicing dance moves and breaking vases."

"Er…" Zelda remembered the past. "What are you bringing that up for? This is about that girl's lack of respect. I'm on a higher level of class than her. She'll never grow up to be great like me with her demeanor."

Impa sighed._ I hope for everyone's sake she doesn't grow up to be like you. Zelda, I love taking care of you with all my heart, but I feel you still need training to become a new human being. One that is acceptable._

The ringing of a cellphone interrupted Impa's thoughts. Zelda picked up her pink cellphone and answered it. "Hello?"

"_Hello sister."_

Zelda frowned, "What are you calling this number for?"

"_Just checking if you're actually going through with this. You're actually going to live down here with me in Nintendo."_

"Let me tell you right now that I'm not going to come down there to live with you. I have a place of my own. Besides that, I'd have to kill myself if I ever had to live with you again."

_"I'm not going to get into this here. Just tell me what time you're getting here and we can make this phone conversation short and sweet."_

"Fine by me. I'll be there tomorrow at 10am. I'm guessing you're picking me up?"

_"Unfortunately yes. But don't worry that will be it. I won't have to say another word to you."_

"Good, because I don't think there is no reason for us to interact with each other while we're there together. I'll just finish my dancing career and become famous and get out of your face."

_"You really think it's going to be that easy? No one is going to accept you that easily Zelda. It's going to take hard-"_

"Hey are you trying to lecture me? I know how to handle myself. You've already made your foolish mistakes. Don't try to snuggle up close to me so you can get some of the glory for me when I succeed."

_"How… How dare you! I don't want any of your glory. I'm just telling you this so you don't feel bad when your dreams get shut down!"_

"Please. Just because you can't become famous since you're broken down and poor now, doesn't mean you can take me down with you. I know you're jealous and who wouldn't be? After all, I will always outshine you since you blew it! Never forget that!"

Without waiting for her sister's response, she hung up her cellphone. Zelda looked at the time she spent on the phone. "I can't believe I'm actually wasting minutes of my phone on her!"

**Nintendo**

"That… little… AAAAHHH!" Twenty-one-year-old Peach Toadstool threw her phone in frustration.

"Hey!" Peach's good friend Roy Varvel caught the phone. "That's valuable merchandise!"

"Sorry it's just…aagh! I can't stand her!" Peach growled like a wild animal. "I just want to grab her neck and snap it!"

"Isn't that a little well…extreme?" Roy asked as more of a true fact than question.

Peach sighed. "I suppose." She took the phone from Roy's hands. "It did take me a long time to get this cellphone on my own."

"If you don't learn how to control your rage, you're going to have to start taking anger management classes," Roy joked. He stopped smiling when he saw the look on Peach's face. "Bad time for joking?"

Peach crossed her arms and eased up her glare. "No it's okay. I'm just upset by this."

Peach looked around the room. She was visiting the apartments where her sister Zelda was supposed to be staying. "This place is just so nice," She whispered. "To have fully furnished apartments with the works would be amazing. It was so much easier when I still lived with my parents and Zelda. Being able to buy whatever I want, go to all the parties, the trips. Life was so much easier three years ago."

"But there is a dark side to all that money. Becoming lonely and miserable, remember?" Roy reminded her. "That's why you quit your lifestyle anyway. The idea of us poor middle class citizens being demoralized by the wealthy, disgusted you. At least that's what you told me."

The blonde nodded. "And it still does. I just couldn't take it anymore. I need to find a way to prove to the world that the rich can be benelvolent and only way for that to happen, if for me to find my own wealth. Under the new name Peach _Toadstool_, courtesy of my grandmomther, I vow to this. But with people like Zelda moving here, it might distract me."

"Talk about making a commotion over nothing. All you have to do is drop the little tyke off at her home when she arrives, and then she's out of your hair like a pack of lice." Roy explained.

"That made absolutely no sense."

Roy smirked. "Yes. But you're smiling, aren't ya?

Peach laughed. Roy would always try his best to cheer her up. She had met Roy when she moved into the hostel. At the hostel everyone was assigned chores and she and Roy were assigned to make breakfast. So the two of them tried to make pancakes but it wasn't successful. Their work started to turn into play. They didn't get the breakfast done but they did develop a friendship. The two eventually became best friends and they had been friends for three years. Peach knew if it weren't for Roy, she wouldn't have her first job as a nurse. And when Peach didn't have enough money for anything, Roy would never mind donating money to her from his small funds. It was more like Roy was her savior from everything in her troubled past.

"Oh and let's not forget she'll be attending the same college as us. Talk about a real pain. Then she'll be dancing in the studio where I'm modeling. She'll be everywhere."

"Modeling? So you did get the job?" Roy asked.

"No, not yet. But I feel that I'm going to get it. It's calling to me!"

"Oh so is it saying…Peach…" Roy screeched in a ghostly tone. "Peach…come… listen to the sound of my voice…come and modeeeeelllllll…model for me… I want to check out your bod-

Peach punched him in his shoulder and laughed. "Shut-up! You know that's just a figure of speech."

"I know, I know. I just love your reactions. So what's holding you back from getting the job?"

"Well…turns out that I need to take some more pictures than the ones I had before. They say the pictures from the past are nice but they want some from now. And they have to be professionally taken. Do you know how much money it is to get a professional photographer here? I don't even want to think about it."

"Hmm… I might be able to help there. I know a guy… who knows the one guy…who knows a guy that works at a photo shop and secretly that guy was a professional photographer."

"Really? He's that good?"

"Well that's what that other guy said," Roy replied.

"What guy? Oh never mind. I'm sure he cost much too."

"No. Apparently the guy who told me, says there's one guy I know who knows that one guy and I apparently I know the guys that the one guy told me about him knows me and can put in a good word in for me and you since he knows you and me and the guy will agree."

Peach gave Roy a blank stare. "Okay, you lost me. Do they have names?"

"Yep, the guy who told me all this was Falco."

"Falco? Why didn't you just say his name? I know him!"

"Oh yeah that's right. I just like to mess with ya." Roy grinned.

Peach ran a hand over her face. "Roy, if you don't start making sense soon, I'm going to have a reason to be going to those anger management classes. I'll be suffering from 'Throttling Best Friend" syndrome."

"Okay, okay. But I'm just saying. I can get someone to take your photos," Roy answered quickly.

Peach frown turned into a grin. "That's great! Is he here today?"

"Might be…Aah!" He wailed as Peach clasped his hand.

"This is great! Let's go see him now!" She let go of his hand and headed to the apartment entrance.

Roy ran after her. "Peach wait!" He caught up to her quickly. Before he could warn her slow down, he ran against someone and he heard a surprised yelp. He screeched to a halt as he heard a body fall to the floor.

Peach heard this too and turned around. She looked down to see a girl on the floor. She had blonde hair just like hers but it was tied in a braid. Her eyes were closed but as she started to get up, she opened them to reveal beautiful emerald green eyes. The girl looked about her sister Zelda's age.

"Hey you!"

Peach looked up to see a very large man rush over to Roy and grab his arm. "Why don't you watch where you're going punk! You see what you did?"

Roy was lost for words, seeing the man's large size. He was a brown-faced man with red hair and eyes to match. He looked down at the girl getting helped off the floor by another man who seemed to have no relation to the woman. Roy felt himself start to stutter. "I-I d-didn't mean t-to."

" I don't believe that for a second!" The man growled. "I'm gonna-

"Ganondorf, stop!"

Roy looked up at the giant who was grasping his arm who was apparently Ganondorf. He was looking shocked. "But…"

"You saw it was just an accident." The woman was now glaring at Ganondorf. "So back off."

Ganondorf hesitated for another moment before obeying the woman who was apparently his boss.

"Yes." He walked away from Roy.

Roy sighed in relief. "That was too close."

Peach hurried back to Roy and placed an arm on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…"

"Excuse me?"

Roy and Peach looked over at the blonde girl that had stopped Ganondorf. She bowed her head to them. "I am so sorry about that. He's… usually not that into his work. Please forgive him."

"I'm…sorry," Ganondorf replied without the least bit of sincerity in his voice.

Peach smiled. "It's not your fault. We shouldn't have been running. Are you okay?"

The girl smiled at the two. "I'm fine. It was just an accident. In fact, that's all the excitement I've had all day," she answered with a giggle.

Roy scratched his head. "Same for me."

The girl apologized once more. "I really am sorry."

"It's fine. Really," Roy replied.

Peach thought this was all nice and everything but she had a place to be. It's not like there was a chance that they would ever see this girl again. "Well we must be going now."

"Oh. Good-bye then." The blonde smiled at them one last time before Roy and Peach headed towards the building exit.

Roy sighed in relief. "I thought he was really going to kill me."

"Well maybe next time you'll be more careful."

"What? It's your fault it happened!" Roy shot back.

"No it wasn't!"

"Yes it was!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

The two began to argue on their way to the shop.

**Back In the Apartment Lodge**

Nineteen-year old Samus Aran flipped around and crossed her arms. "Well…"

Ganondorf looked at his mistress. "Well what?"

"Don't you see what happens when you act before you think? It was an accident. You don't have to think of everything as an assault or attack on me."

"Samus, I was authorized by Mr. Aran to be your bodyguard. Which means I have to be very vigilant."

"I'll tell you if I need a vigilante. I mean it's already bad enough my dad gave me two of you protectors. I don't need you both."

Ganondorf smirked at Samus. "Even if you're as tough as you play off to be Samus, I know for a fact you need protectors."

"One is just fine." Samus retorted. _None at all would be grand._

"Nah, you need us both." Ganondorf disagreed once again. "Me, as your strong and brave protector in the morning. And Mewtwo as your genius night owl protector of the evening and night."

"Ganon. It's very nice that you take pride in your work. But…I'd like to make some friends here."

"How can you not have friends?" he asked. "Don't I always see people around you?"

Samus looked up at the ceiling of the building. She was getting tired of his smart alec attitude. "I mean friends who aren't actually afraid of you and will talk to me outside of school and when I'm not at the fine arts studio."

"Hmm," Ganondorf laughed at the thought of being feared. "Well then… I guess I'm doing my job as..."

"... the perfect guardian for the Aran family." Samus said mocking Ganondorf's usual phrases. "I know. I know." Samus looked at her watch. "Isn't it time for your shift to end?"

"Yeah, what of it-"

"Bye!" Samus walked away from Ganondorf and towards to the elevator. She hurried inside the elevator and shut the door. She heard her bodyguard call her name but she didn't stop the elevator. She watched the number started going up to floor 11.

Samus sighed._ I hate this. Why do my parents have to be so protective? It's not like I'm a famous pop diva or anything. I wish they would respect my space._ Samus knew her parents only cared for her. But sometimes it was a little too much care. The main reason her protection was needed was thanks to her father. Her father Darren Aran was a very famous producer of music. Everyone knew him well. And he was just overjoyed when Samus was born. Thanks to her mother Lydia Aran, Samus was blessed with a beautiful singing voice.

Samus loved her voice too. But the work was hard. Her father overworked her in the studio every time right after school and the summers were killer. Mr. Aran had at least two performances booked for Samus in a week. At first it was fun but then Samus realized something. She was missing out on her life. She never got to enjoy the fun regular girls have. Now at age nineteen, Samus knew she could quit music. But she didn't want to let her parents down. It was their dream to see her shine and become famous. And to this day Samus still wonders if fame is important at all.

The elevator door opened. She peered into the hallway greeted by a loud eruption coming from two voices. She didn't have to guess where the noise was coming from, it was obviously her parents. She hurried quickly to her apartment and fumbled for her key. Swiftly opening her door, she waltzed right in and looked to her right to where her parents' room was. As she got closer, the voices and words started to become much clearer. Her mother was speaking in a calm voice and it sounded as if she was crying. Meanwhile her father was sounding angry.

"Please Darren, just listen to me. I'm just thinking about her future."

"Her future!? Why do you always want to change everything!" Mr. Aran said angrily. "She's happy the way she is!"

"How do you know?" her mother's voice cried. "You never ask her! When I look at her face she smiles, but I know there is a sadness in her heart."

"Those damn feelings in your heart speeches! Listen to yourself Lydia! You sound foolish!"

Samus sighed. _They're talking about me again. Why can't they stop? I'm fine! I'll do anything for them. I just want them to stay together. _

"What's your heart telling you now! Leave me and your daughter right?"

"That may be so," Mrs. Aran said quietly.

Samus sighed. She was about to take off, but she had no idea the door to her parents' room opened. As she turned, she found herself looking in the eye of her father. He had short light blonde hair. His green eyes were looking into hers.

"Samus." He was shocked. "Uh…" Samus' mother appeared in the door and gasped. Samus thought of her mother as very beautiful. She had short blonde hair that ended right above her shoulders and she also had green eyes.

"Sammie," she said quietly, calling her by one of her typical nicknames. Samus never minded it at all.

Samus looked at both of them. "You were arguing again."

"Oh Sam," Mr. Aran said his nickname for his daughter. "It was just a little fight. Nothing more than that."

Samus eyed her mother. She didn't respond at all. She smiled a bit. "I understand. I know it was a small argument. You two could never stay mad at each other."

"Right," Mr. Aran said with a grin. He looked over at his wife. Lydia Aran looked at them both for a moment before nodding. "Hey. We're all fine here. In fact, let's all go to dinner tonight. So we can have a little family time."

Samus brushed off the argument. "Okay! But after I do my homework."

" I have to go to the studio anyway. Well we both have to go right Lydia?" he said with a smile.

"Actually. I'm not feeling up to going," she smiled weakly. "I think I'll just rest up until we go out to eat."

"Oh. Well we'll meet up later then." Mr. Aran put on his sunglasses and hurried towards the front door.

"Good-bye."

When her husband was out the door and out of sight, Mrs. Aran sighed. She looked at her daughter. "Honey, you heard the argument right?"

Samus nodded. "Yes."

"Is it true?"

Samus didn't understand. "Is what true?"

"Are you really enjoying your singing career?" she asked slowly.

Samus laughed at her mother as if it were a joke. "Mom! You know I am. I've been singing ever since I learned how to talk. I couldn't imagine doing anything else."

Mrs. Aran looked deep into Samus' eyes. After a long silence she smiled. "If you're sure. I'm going to rest my head. Finish your homework, kay babe?"

"Sure mom." Samus mouthed bye as her mother shut the door to her room. As she stood by the door she heard some music turn on. She walked away from her mother's room and headed to her own. She thought about the argument once more.

Her mother thought about leaving them. Samus knew it wasn't true. Her mother said that all the time in all her arguments and it has never been close to happening. She shrugged it off and hurried down to her room. Arguing was a part of life. She knew it would never mean anything in her family. Samus knew as long as she kept her feelings of happiness towards her singing everything would be okay.

**End Of Chapter**

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_So what do you guys think? I tried to make it as short as possible. I hope it wasn't long for ya. So let's see the results from guessing who's POV'S is who's and it seems no one was right who reviewed. They may have gotten one right, but the rest were wrong. I don't think anyone got all three. But I wasn't expecting anyone to get it. I made the second POV sound snobbish and it made you all think it was Peach huh? But it was actually Zelda. And Peach is the model and Samus is the singer. So now that we know who is whom we can get this story started. Oh and I've been using some of my vocabulary I used in school. If there are any words you didn't get, tell me and I'll tell you the definition. And I made up Roy's last name. People keep saying its Eliwood but I don't like that. I only like that to be his father's first name. Well that's it. Please review!_

**_Royal Kenya_**


	3. Chapter Two

_Wow thanks for the reviews you guys. I thought that last chapter was kind of lazy but I guess not according to some people. I know I made some people go into shock by making Zelda snobbish, but don't lose hope. People can change. Like me, I can't believe I'm posting this chapter in less than two weeks, even one week. I hope you enjoy it._

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**Chapter Two**

"Here we are," Impa said to Zelda. "The Nintendo Airport."

Zelda pressed down on the button of the car and it rolled down the window. She placed her fingers on the window to get a better look. The airport seemed to be like every other airport. The planes were all present and some were taking off into the sky or landing at the airport. She looked back at Impa. "You don't think it will be crowded will you?"

"I would not worry about that Miss Zelda. Your father and mother have a private plane ready for you."

A smile appeared on the young adult's face. "I knew my parents cared about me. Traveling with noisy, common people is so annoying. By the way, how long will you be staying with me Impa?"

"Your parents insisted I stay until you're safe and secure in Nintendo. Then you will be handling everything on your own."

"Wow…you made that sound like it's going to be terrible."

"Oh no. It won't be at all. You'll have your sister Peach with you and…"

"Don't say that name in my presence Impa!" Zelda snapped. "Just the sound of her name ticks me off."

"I'm sorry, Miss Zelda," Impa replied. "But just the thought of seeing her for just a little while gives me a little excitement. I haven't seen Peach since she was eighteen year of age. I'm sure she has matured much more than the last time I've seen her."

Zelda looked away from the airport to turn her attention on Impa. "Impa, I don't understand. Why do you still like her? Didn't you see what she did? She left our family to be a part of a lower class. She's changed. Who would want to live like that?"

"Yes, I can't really explain why either. It's very mysterious for her to leave her rich life to take on the regular lifestyle common citizens live. But just like you Zelda, I have been taking care of Peach since she was a baby. I could never lose the love of someone you've been taking care of for eighteen years," Impa concluded.

Zelda still did not understand her nursemaid and she started to wonder if she was as foolish as Peach was. She decided to drop the subject, before words that shouldn't be crossed were said. "I hope Nintendo is ready for my arrival."

The black limo stopped right in front of an airplane. To Zelda's surprise, she saw her parents standing by the plane with smiles on their faces. Zelda's face was beaming. "I didn't know they were coming!" She got out of the car quickly and waved to them. "Hello!"

Her mother, Isabella Harkinian waved. "Hello, Zelda darling!"

Her father, Lyon Harkinian smiled brightly at the sight of his daughter. "It's nice to see you, Princess!"

Zelda knew her father was very fond of calling her by that nickname. She never disowned it. Based on her living conditions, she felt she should be a princess. She hugged her father with all her might.

"Daddy, how did you get here? I thought you were all still on your business trip with Mother."

Mrs. Harkinian stroked her daughter's blonde hair. "We aren't exactly done. But we couldn't miss this moment. Our little girl is leaving us for a life of fame. We wanted to see you off before we go back. We're sorry we couldn't make the competition."

Mr. Harkinian's eyes lit up. "So do we have a new trophy to add to your collection?"

Zelda let go of her father excited to tell him the obvious news. "It's in the trunk of the limo. A real beauty it is. I think this one is actual gold."

"That's great, Princess! Of course I never doubted you for a second, I might add. I'll send it home right away and put it next to all your other glorious achievements," he said while reaching for his cellphone. But he stopped as his daughter grabbed the phone still tight in his hands. He looked at his daughter, confused by her behavior. "If it's okay with you Daddy, I would like to take the trophy with me. I'd like to keep it as a memoir of one of the grandest trophies I won here in Joypadana."

"Would you like me to send the other trophies to Nintendo also?" her father asked.

"No, that won't be necessary. I'll need room for the new trophies I'll win over there." Zelda rubbed her chin as she pondered. "Then of course, I must have room for all the new things I'll buy down there. I heard they have the best stores there."

"The best of the best," Mrs. Harkinian added. "I went shopping there right after shooting for my movies. You'll love all the different fashions there."

"If you say it Mother, I believe it." Zelda sighed. "I guess it's time for me to head to my new home over there with Peach."

Mrs. Harkinian's face started to scrunch up. "Oh. Did she call you?"

"Yes, just to make sure I was coming. She really thinks I'm going to back out on this chance of a lifetime. Is she ever wrong." Zelda watched the chauffer carry Zelda's luggage over to the plane. She turned her eyes back to her parents to see their grim faces. "What?" She asked quite curiously.

"Zelda," her father said firmly. "I must talk to you about your sister."

"Daddy, don't worry. I won't get on her nerves or anything while I'm down there. I'm not even going to try and associate with her ever."

"Not only that Zelda. But I don't want you to ever listen to her words. She's going to try her best to get you on her side," Mr. Harkinian explained. "Peach knows that she made a terrible mistake and there's no turning back."

"So you must not give in to her desires. She blew it and I will never let her come back after what she did to us. So please don't go to her for anything. She'll try to drag you down and be a filthy lower class like her," Mrs. Harkinian added.

Zelda lightly chuckled. "Ha, like that'll ever happen. Once Peach had hit rock bottom, I declared her unworthy to talk to. They're too different from us. Of course all my chances of fame will evaporate into thin air if I even take a glance at hoi polloi. I'm peerless compared to them," Zelda added.

"We're not expecting you to," Mrs. Harkinian said softly. "We're just reminding you, so you won't fall for it."

"Right," Zelda said, not really paying attention. "Anything else?"

Mr. Harkinian nodded. "Yes. While we were out, we stopped by Glinko's. There were some cellular phones." He shoved a hand into the pocket of his blue suit and pulled out three different pink cell phones. "We were going to pick one out for you but we couldn't decide which one to get so we're going to let you pick from these three."

Zelda's face lit up as she looked at the cute pink phones. She knew all three of these phones were rare and very expensive. "They're all very cute, Daddy. However, I feel if I take one phone, the other two will be let down because I didn't pick it. That's sort of like neglecting them." She spoke her last sentence in a very sad and sweet voice as she looked up at her father with her seemingly innocent blue eyes. "I'll feel terrible."

Of course her parents fell for this act since they always spoil her. "Well, how about you keep them all?" Mrs. Harkinian suggested. "You can take them all down there with you so when you get tired of one phone you can pick from the other two. And if you grow tired of all three of your phones, we can buy you a new up to date cell phone and send it down to Nintendo." She looked at her husband.

"What do you think of that plan dear?"

"Brilliant idea. As always, Love." Mr. Harkinian said while adding a kiss on his wife's cheek. "That's why I married you. Is this good for you Zelda?"

"Works for me," Zelda said as she hugged both of her parents. "Ooh… I'm going to miss you two so much. I don't know where I would have been without you two. I would never have found such great styles or dances."

Mrs. Harkinian sniffed her tears away. "You've grown into a lovely young lady."

Zelda let go of her parents. "I know, amazing isn't it?" She smiled at them as she waved and hurried off to the plane. "Goodbye! Send my love to the grandparents, aunts and uncles for me kay?"

"Of course. Goodbye Zelda!"

"Make us proud, Princess!" her father called.

Zelda walked up the stairs to the entry of the plane. She turned around and looked back at Joypadana one last time. _Goodbye Joypadana. Hello new journey to Nintendo._

**Restaurant**

Samus glanced back and forth. When she looked at her mother, she could see her with a smile plastered on her face but she could still see something was bugging her. When she would turn to her father, he seemed normal to her. He was acting like nothing had happened earlier on at home. She was glad her father's attitude was like that.

He was the only one who didn't let anyone see his anger after an argument. He knew Lydia was just making a fuss over nothing as usual and he just let his life go on. But even if they were fine at heart, the silence was killing Samus.

"So…Dad," Samus started. "How was work in the studio today?" Samus could see her mother had stopped poking at her food and was now looking over at her. Her father surprisingly looked up from his plate of food.

"It was great, Sam. As usual, your father is making hits off all these pop stars. They just keep flying in my studio like bears drawn to honey." Her father joked.

Samus laughed along with him. None of his lines were ever funny, but his attempts to make her laugh would always make her smile. "That's cool, Dad. I'm glad you're still making people start off on a good music career. It's amazing how many people's lives you've changed. Much more than the people who audition on American Idol."

"Much better than American Idol. I make those judges look like beginners compared to me," her father added. "Did you finish all that theory homework for music?"

"No. I'm still working on it. Mr. Odella gave me so much this summer and with school starting a month from tomorrow it will be harder to finish." Samus' brain started to rack in pain as she thought about all the music theory she would have to do.

"Well Sam, it's the price you have to pay to become a great singer one day. You don't want to be left behind and dropped like the other failures do ya?" Her father asked hoping she would give the right answer.

Samus shook her head. "No, of course not Dad. This is what I want."

"Good answer, Sam!"

Mrs. Aran looked at both them in disbelief. She sighed and shook her head. As she was about to join in, she was interrupted by a wheezy chuckle. She raised her eyes to a man with blue hair and blue eyes to match. She remembered the person instantly.

"Well if my eyes aren't deceiving me, this is the Aran family in my presence." The man said with a pearly white smile.

Mr. Aran glared up at the man. "Carter. Well this is shocking. I always thought you couldn't afford nice restaurants like this."

Carter looked over at the two ladies seated at Mr. Aran's table. He smiled at Mrs. Aran. "Hello Lydia, you're looking as radiant as ever."

"Thank you Carter," she said with a smile for such a nice compliment.

Carter looked over at Samus Aran. He smiled at her. "And then here's Lydia's talented lil daughter, Miss Samus Aran."

Samus hesitantly smiled. "That's me."

Carter looked Samus up and down. "Still looking just as beautiful as your mother._ Thank goodness for that,_" he muttered. But Samus and everyone else still heard him. "I'm sure you have the same singing skills as her too. Too bad I can't get you to work with me at my studio."

Before Samus could say another word her father butted in. "Can we help you before you go back to your dish duties?"

Carter smirked as he shook his head. "What repartee you have, Aran. I'm just passing by. I'm meeting my wife and the rest of the family here for my celebration dinner. We have more record deals for the singers who visit my studio. I think it's the biggest success since…well any big music producer." Carter watched Mr. Aran's anger start to boil. His work here was done.

Lydia Aran brushed her blonde hair out of her face. "You know, Carter. Darren here has made a few kids start their tours and singing careers also. We were celebrating his great achievement."

Carter crossed his arms. "Lydia, you don't have to lie for him. I know he wouldn't be anywhere without you. You're the singing sensation."

Mr. Aran kept trying to control his anger towards his rival. "Please. If it weren't for me, Lydia wouldn't be where she is right now. She was just singing at small time gigs. She's married to a man who's going to keep her on top. Isn't that right Lydia?"

Her husband's words made Mrs. Aran lose her train of thought. She hesitated with her answer. "Um…" After a long silence, she nodded slowly.

Carter looked Mrs. Aran good in the eye. "Lydia, you sure know how to hide your emotions well. You never get mad at what Mr. Aran says to you. Especially when he's insulting you."

Mr. Aran erupted with anger. "You better stop where you are Carter before things get ugly! This is why we can never get along."

Mrs. Aran dropped the fork in her hand as she coughed. It hit her plate loudly. When she stopped coughing, she covered her mouth with a napkin. "Excuse me." She looked at her husband. "Darren, we shouldn't be talking about this."

Mr. Aran caught his wife's gaze. He knew she meant that this needed to be a private conversation without Samus around. He sighed. "Alright, fine."

"Hmph. You follow your wife's orders? Maybe that's why you'll always be second-rate. I'll take my leave." He nodded to Samus and her mother and then took off to go to his table.

Samus watched the man go. When he was out a sight, she let out a groan of disgust. "What a creep. He doesn't know a thing about you, Dad."

"Lydia…" Her father said completely ignoring his daughter's compliment. "You've embarrassed once again in front of Carter."

"I've embarrassed you?" She responded in disbelief. "I was trying to help you from starting a confrontation with him!"

"That's nice and all Lydia but I can handle myself!" Mr. Aran's voice started to rise. "I think it's your duty to just sit there and let me do the talking."

Samus felt nervous as her mother glared at him. "You know sometimes I just don't know what you want me to do. You want me to help at first and then all of a sudden you want me to just stay quiet.

There's no way to please you is there?" Without waiting for a response she continued. "But I need to face reality here. I'm dealing with a man who can't even realize what his daughter wants."

"Mom please, I really am okay. I told you this earlier on." Samus said trying to break up the argument. "I do not have a problem with singing. I love every minute of it."

Her mother shot her eyes angrily over at her daughter. "Samus, it's time you stop lying to yourself and realize that you're doing too much. You may love singing, but isn't there something else you would rather do? I was in the same shoes as you once and I always desired to do more."

Samus bit her lip. Her mother was speaking the truth. She always had special desires to do other things. But if she said yes to her mother she would be letting her father down and who knew what trouble they would land in after that. This was all confusing, but she knew if she kept lying her mother would accept it and hopefully never bring it up again. "I'm fine with how my life is."

"You see?" Mr. Aran sharply cut off Samus' sentence. "She's fine with it. Maybe it's you who doesn't know what she really wants."

Mrs. Aran looked at her daughter. She didn't feel there was anything else to say. She looked very disappointed with Samus. But she kept it to herself. "Whatever you say," she muttered.

"Mom..." Samus started. But she could see her mother was not going to answer her any time soon. She looked over at her father who was now eating with a satisfied look on his face. Her family arguments were starting to give her a migraine.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to head home now. I'm not up to much more family time." Lydia Aran scooted her chair, grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

"Fine by me," Mr. Aran muttered as she watched her exit out of the restaurant a few seconds later.

"Mom wait!" Samus called as she ran after her mother. She dashed out the door and after her mother who was already near her car. Samus had wished her mother wasn't set on driving to the restaurant alone, in hopes something like this wouldn't happen. She felt the rain hit her hair. She had forgotten it was raining hard outside. Her mother didn't turn around to the sound of her voice. "Mom, listen to me!" she pleaded.

Her mother stopped and turned, bearing a crossed look on her face. "What?"

Samus grabbed her mother's hand. "Please don't leave. This is a time for us all to talk like a family. To talk about the good things. Not about my future, Mom."

"Samus." Her mother only called her by her real name when she was either angry with her or was trying to be serious. "How can we possibly be talking about your future, when I don't even know what it is? You keep lying to yourself."

"Okay, I am! There are other things I would like to do with my life," Samus confessed. "But…I don't want to let you or dad down."

"Samus. You don't have to worry about letting us down. If there's something else you want to do, you should do it. We can accept it."

"I know you will. But I want to try singing first. I want to see if I am able to handle a music career. I want to make you all proud after all," Samus said quietly.

Mrs. Aran let her hands drop. Her words were finally making sense to her. This was Samus telling the truth now. She lit up her face with a understanding look. "Okay, Sammie. It's your decision I suppose. No it _is_ your decision," she said with confidence in her voice. She placed her hands on her daughter's cheeks. "I just want you to know that whatever happens from here and now on, I love you."

She hugged her mother. "I love you too, Mom."

Her mother opened her car door and climbed inside. "You better wait on your father, Sammie. He'll need some comfort."

"Okay. See you later." She waved as her mother drove off. She closed her eyes. "I guess everything is okay for now." She started to walk back to the restaurant. _My parents really do argue about me a lot. Sometimes I wonder if they ever worry about themselves._ Samus was so wrapped in her thoughts she didn't notice the stairs were very slippery. She started to run up the stairs but as she hit the third step, she slipped in a puddle and started to fall forward. She gasped as she realized she was going to hit the ground. She shut her eyes preparing for impact but she felt a pair of hands grab her shoulders and pull her back. Samus fell back into the person who grabbed her. She caught her breath. She tried to move forward but the person had a tight grip on her body. This guy may have saved her, but she didn't know who it could be. It could've been a perverted man or someone worse.

"Are you alright, Samus?" A male voice.

Samus' fear drifted away. For a perverted man, he had a very soothing and trustworthy voice. "I…I'm fine."

"Good. I thought you were going to mess up that pretty face of yours," The male said with a light chuckle. He let go of Samus and lightly pushed her ahead. "You better hurry in to your father."

Samus stopped herself from walking forward. She flipped around quickly. "But how did…" She looked and saw no one. It was just her alone. "…you know my name?" she whispered.

"Miss Samus."

Samus turned and saw her second cat like guardian Mewtwo. He had teleported right in front of her. Between Mewtwo and Ganondorf, Samus felt she could tolerate Mewtwo the most. "Yes, Mewtwo?"

"Master Aran sent me a telepathic message to check on you. I believe I don't have to remind you about how he dislikes you being outside for too long. He wants you back inside immediately."

"Um…" Samus peered through the rain trying to look for the mysterious guy. He was definitely nowhere. "Okay." _Who was that guy? I don't know why… but there was something about his voice that sounded so… I don't know. This may be the last time I see him anyway._

Little did she know that they would be meeting up again.

**The Hostel**

"HEADS UP!"

Peach lifted her head up for a second. Her face came to face with a wet sponge. Peach groaned and pulled the sponge off her face. She looked over at Roy's innocent blue eyes and mustered up an evil glare. "Roy, you're so immature!"

Roy smiled. "It was just an accident. I was trying to launch the projectile into the sink but the trajectory was all out of whack. I had no idea…"

"Don't use that scientific tone with me!" Peach said while waving a finger at him. "You know you were just trying to make me smile when you know I'm still mad at you."

Roy looked at Peach's face. "It worked didn't it?"

She turned away from him, wanting to laugh. "No."

Roy snuck up behind her and gave her his cocky grin. "Yes it did."

It was getting harder to contain her laughter. "It wasn't funny."

"Come on. I know you just want to flash those pearly whites of yours and smile." Roy commented.

Peach sighed. "You know what?"

"Wha…" Peach cut him off when she shoved the same soapy sponge in his face. She smothered it all over his face watching all the soap form. Peach finally had an excuse to laugh. "I really do want to laugh…now." She continued to laugh at him.

He gasped for air trying to clean the soapy taste buds from his mouth. "Funny, Peachie. But…" Roy threw his water in his bucket so fast she didn't have time to duck. The water soaked her from head to toe. "I can be even funnier."

"Roy, stop!" She looked at her soaked clothes. "Ugh… now I have to go change. Stop messing with me when I'm angry with you!"

"You're not mad at me. You like me too much." Roy's smile started to weaken, as he saw the angered look on Peach's face. "It was just an accident. I'm sorry we got to the Photoshop late," Roy elaborated.

"But I was so looking forward to it. This was going to be a big moment for me." She got up and looked at her jeans. They were so soaked. She scrunched up her face as she felt the uncomfortable feeling of the jeans sticking to her skin like her hair and sweatshirt were. "This is just great."

"Hey, at least you smell squeaky clean. You'll be ready for the photo tomorrow," Roy joked.

That did it for Peach. She grabbed her bucket and dumped all its contents on Roy. But she had forgotten her bucket was empty.

Roy smirked. "Ha! What are you going to do now?" he challenged her.

"This." Peach carelessly dropped the bucket on his head and walked off. "Finish the floor, if you can't get that bucket off your big head!"

Roy pulled the bucket off his head quickly. He hurried after Peach. "Hold on, Peach!"

Peach didn't look back at Roy. She stormed out of the kitchen and then jogged up the stairs. She kept on walking until Roy's strong hands grabbed her shoulders and held her in place. "Leave me alone," she hissed.

Roy was shocked by her friend's behavior. "You're not really that mad at me, are you?" To Roy's surprise, he heard a sniff come from Peach.

"No." she said in a whimper.

"Well then what's wrong?" Roy turned Peach around to see her worried expression on her face. She had tears falling down her face.

She gave in to Roy's concern. "I'm just…so worried. About my future I mean. What if this whole modeling thing doesn't work out? If I don't get the job I don't know what I'll do."

"Does it really matter a lot to you, Peach?"

The blonde nodded. "Remember what I told you one of my goals was? I was going to become so rich and successful on my own without the help of my money-loving family. I want to be able to use my money to help others and not be money-hoards like my parents. I want to help make a difference in the way modern people stereotype rich people. I want them to see that they can trust some of us. So I have to have this job. Otherwise, I won't be able to change anything. I mean this is all I can do."

Roy looked deep into his friend's eyes. "Peach, you can't dwell on that. You don't know what's going to happen yet."

"But all those other modeling places turned me down… and I…"

"Don't worry about those places. They don't know that they turned down a terrific girl. And hopefully this modeling agency will see you as the spectacular girl I see you as every day."

Peach stared at Roy for a moment. She then smiled at Roy's behavior. "Stop, Roy. You're getting all mushy on me and for you, that's not normal." she wiped her tears away. "I feel much better though."

"Well, you better be. For a moment, I thought I was going to have to dump you for another hyperactive Peach buddy," Roy said, hoping to get his friend to return to normal.

"Thanks Roy," she said softly.

"I'll walk you back to your room." Roy offered. Peach accepted his offer without hesitation. As they walked down the long hallway to her room, Roy began a conversation. "So what do you plan to do to reach this goal of yours?"

"Well, I plan on having three things. Number one, I want to have this modeling job, I know it will get me far into this world. I know I can work to the best of my abilities and maybe… just maybe make my name known in a different way."

"That sounds like a good plan," Roy complimented.

"Number two, I want to be able to own a nice house. You know like the one my sister is supposed to be living in. And if I make even more money, I can live in a large mansion."

"Aww…but what about living in the hostel with me and everyone else?" Roy asked.

"Well, come on Roy. You know this is a blessing since it's so cheap. But living conditions aren't the best. The place isn't well supplied and we have to share the hot water in the showers with everyone in the hostel. And some of the rooms don't even have showers so we have to use the community showers. It was pretty annoying when I first came here."

"But if it wasn't for this place, you wouldn't have met me."

Peach smiled. "That was one great thing about coming here. But I promise if it ever does happen, I will make sure to build the most glamorous hostel for you guys that I can. And they will be stocked with everything and full furnished."

Roy nodded. "Sound like a deal to me. And number three?"

"Number three…" Peach sighed. "I hope I find a boyfriend."

"A boyfriend?" Roy raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah. But not just any boy, he's going to have to follow some requirements. I need him to be able to be very supportive and I want him to have a job that's successful. I want him to be a big help in keeping my goals alive. Oh and he must also be very attractive," Peach concluded with a laugh. "So then one day we could get married and raise kids who will keep our traditions running and they'll have a pretty face while they're at it."

Roy didn't say anything at first. He sighed and looked at her. "I thought girls were looking for the guys who keep a smile on your face. You know, the average boy."

"Please Roy. That was back in the day when hamburgers were a nickel and gas was 10 cents a gallon. These days it's all about appearance and what you have to offer to a female," Peach explained.

"I see. I guess that means…"

Peach looked at Roy with her eyes rapidly blinking about his statement. "Means what?"

Roy shook his head. "It's nothing." He grinned at his best friend. "I hope you succeed in your goals. And if someone tries to bring you down, I want you to know I'm behind you 100 percent."

"Thanks Roy. That's nice of you." Peach yawned as they reached the door. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to hit the bed. Oh! But we have to finish the floors…"

"No, you go to sleep. I'll handle the floors. It was my fault anyway."

Peach looked at Roy. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Go and rest." He waved to his friend. "See you in the morning." He took off back to the kitchen.

"Bye." Peach closed the door behind her._ Roy, I hope whomever the guy is I marry, he's as sincere and caring as you._

* * *

Mr. Jones, head of the hostel Peach and Roy were staying in, looked at his new customers. "So how big of a room do you need?"

"Not too big. Just enough room for my brother and me," The male voice replied.

The owner looked at his notebook filled with the rooms open. "Well you're in luck, Son. We have a duo room open here. I can have it all cleaned up and ready for you quickly, if you don't mind waiting."

"We can wait. Take your time."

Mr. Jones nodded. "At least there are some people who can have patience in this world. Let me go check out the room for you boys." He left his desk leaving the two guys alone.

The male's younger sibling grabbed onto his brother's jacket and tugged it. "Are we really going to like it here brother?"

The older brother smiled at his brother and ruffled his hair. "Oh yeah. We're going to like it here a lot."

**_End of Chapter_**

* * *

_Oh dear. This story is going rapidly slow. Well what do you think? I promise the girls will meet up together soon and there will be new characters showing up soon also. Peach and Zelda will definitely meet up next chapter but that may be it. But be patient with me please because I'm trying to make these chapters short. Which means less action for each chapter. Please review this story of slowness._

**_Royal Kenya_**


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

The next day was not a summer morning. The first sight of the sun was only for a moment before the clouds rose in the sky. The clouds made contact with each other and started dancing around each other, rumbling and making thunder. Then flashes of lightning filled the sky. The sky turned a dark black color.

Peach yawned while opening the door to the kitchen. It was later than usual since she wasn't on breakfast duty today. She had pulled her hair back in a ponytail and she was wearing a navy blue sweatshirt and jeans. Her eyes fell on a familiar friend standing by the door to the entrance of the kitchen. It was a violet fox named Krystal.

"Morning, Kryssie," Peach said groggily.

Krystal Tamari jumped at the sound of Peach's voice. She put a finger to her lip. "Shh!"

Peach awoke from her tired emotions. "Krystal? What's-

"Shh!" she hissed again. "Talk softly," she whispered.

Peach obeyed her command. "What's going on?"

Krystal looked away from the kitchen door. She looked at Peach and gestured her to take a look through the kitchen. Peach tiptoed to the side of the door and peeked inside. The kitchen looked as normal as ever until she saw something. Actually someone. Her eyes looked to see two males in the kitchen. She had never seen before. Both boys had blonde hair and blue eyes the exact same shade.

"Some new faces?"

"Yes, I guess so," Krystal whispered. "I've never seen them before. I was coming down here to start breakfast but I found these two in here and they're making it."

Peach sniffed the air then looked back at Krystal. "Smells good though."

"You think so?"

Peach turned around and jumped realizing the newcomer was looking straight at her. Peach turned red in embarrassment. "Oh!" She stepped from the doorway and stood in the middle of it. She laughed nervously. "Yeah. It smells really good. Sorry for spying."

The blonde haired male looked at the younger blonde who was laughing "Thanks and don't worry about it. If I were in your shoes I would stare at the new roomers too." He walked over to Peach and extended his hand. "I'm Link Gaiden."

"My name is Peach Toadstool." She shook Link's hand. "Welcome to Shasta Towers."

Krystal stepped out of hiding and joined them. "I'm Krystal Tamari. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." Link looked down at his younger brother. "Oh, this is my younger brother."

The boy smiled at Peach. "Hi. I'm Link too! But big bro calls me Young Link! You can call me that too!" He looked down at his hands where he was holding a large yellow mouse. "And this is my Pokémon Pikachu. He's happy to meet you too!"

"Pika!" Pikachu said in his native tongue.

"Aww." Peach fell in love with the yellow Pokémon. "You are just too cute." She proceeded in scratching the Pokémon's chin. Pikachu was enjoying the treatment. "Cha!"

"So…" Krystal got the attention of Link. "Where are you from?"

"We really don't have a designated place. We're travelers actually. We stay in a town and then move on to the next from time to time. You could say we follow the wind."

"Oh, so you're world travelers? That's so fascinating," Krystal said in amusement. "You must have been everywhere."

"Not everywhere. We still have many places we haven't seen." Link reached into his pocket and pulled out a map. "But it looks like we're going to need another world map, because it's hard to see where we are with all these markings."

Krystal and Peach looked over the map. "What are all those green markings?" Peach asked.

"The green markings are places we've been. The blue ones are places that we want to revisit. Finally, the red ones are the danger zones. We want to visit the danger zones but we have to be armed."

"Wow," Krystal was amazed by Link. "I've always wanted to see the world. Nintendo is great every once in a while but after twenty-one years of it, it's time for change.

Peach took her turn. "What brings you here anyway?"

"You know. I really can't answer that," Link replied. "It was quite weird actually. We were nowhere near Nintendo. But the wind suddenly changed directions and brought us here."

"The wind can be very fickle and indecisive of it designated destination," Young Link said.

Peach propped her head in her palms. She was amazed at the vocabulary this nine-year-old boy used. "Must be great for you guys to travel around and stuff. No school and other worries."

"Oh no. We still go to school. We only travel in the summer. And since summer is coming to an end, we're settling down here for the school year," Link commented.

"Wow," Peach exclaimed. "If I were you, I would just forget about school."

Link laughed. "I wish that sometimes too. But like my mother would say, education is important. Without it, you might as well get a job as a garbage man."

"Nice advice." Roy had entered the kitchen through the opposite entrance of Krystal and Peach. "Morning all! What's for breakfast?"

"Omelets from scratch." Link answered. "Used whatever was around the kitchen to make this creation. Hopefully you guys will think it's edible."

"I know it will be good if you make it Link," Roy said as he sat down on the table. "Lay it on my plate." He turned his gaze to Peach and Krystal. "You guys met Link yet?"

"We did now. But it looks like you've known him longer," Krystal replied.

"I met him last night because the poor guy couldn't open the door to his room and I helped him out. This guy is great. You know, he can make his own Rice Krispy Treats? I know the four of us are going to have a memorable fourth year of college."

"You're going to be attending the same school as us? That's great," Peach commented.

"Yeah, it's the only school that has an elementary school right next to it and I need to keep an eye on my little bro so…" Link nodded.

"I don't need to be walked to school and back. I'm nine years old and capable of doing everything."

"Doesn't matter, Squirt. But maybe I'll rethink it after Roy shows us around town a bit."

"You guys want to join us?" Roy asked.

"Sounds like fun. But I have to go pick up my younger sister." Peach reminded him. "She should be here in about an hour or two. She's like hours away from this place so I should be getting on the road right now."

"So you have a younger sibling too?" Link asked. "What a coincidence. Since I have a younger brother."

" Oh she's not that young. She's nineteen. Besides…" Peach inspected Young Link as he was feeding Pikachu part of his omelet. "I'm sure Young Link has a heart of gold compared to my sister Zelda."

"Zelda? Doesn't that mean princess?" Link asked. "So she should have some kind of sweet side to her."

"Nope," Peach replied flatly. "Not a sweet nerve in her whole body."

"Either way, I'd like to meet her at least once," Krystal commented. "It's good to meet all the faces of a city."

"She wouldn't want to come here. But maybe you'll see her around on the television since she claims she's going to be so "famous" soon." Peach made quote signs with her fingers.

Krystal giggled. "So she'll be taking dance like me?"

"Mm-hmm. She'll be the one trying to be a big show off." Peach decided to drop the subject on her devil of a sister as Link placed one of his omelets on a plate in front of her. She grabbed a fork and took a bite. As the taste settled in her mouth, a heavenly smile of bliss appeared. She nodded to Link. "This is really good! You'll definitely fit in here!"

**Samus' Apartment**

Samus stared out at the morning traffic out on the balcony. It was the same as usual. Busy as ever and endless. As she was looking out the door, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she replied without looking at the door.

When she heard the door open, she turned around to see who had came in. She frowned as she saw who it was. "What do you want?"

Her half-brother, Douglas Falcon, gave her a cocky grin as he came inside. "Oh come on, sis. Is that the way you treat your big bro after such a long separation?"

As contagious as her brother's laughter was, she held firm."Yes, it is. You leave for a long period of time and then return after a crucial moment in our lives. I could have used your help yesterday when Mom and Dad were arguing."

Falcon crossed his arms. "They always fight, Sam. You know it's just a natural part of their lives that they can't control. They argue, they make up, and then everything is hunky dory. What was it about this time?"

"About me and my singing career."

"Again? That's Mom for ya. She's never satisfied with anything. That's how she was in the three years I lived with her."

Samus knew that was a fact. She sometimes would forget that she and her brother had the same mother, but not the same father. Falcon's dad was married to Samus' mother for only about two and a half years before they got a divorce. Mrs. Aran knew Falcon's dad was nothing but trouble and she didn't want Falcon to turn out the same. So the two were on their own for about the rest of the year before Samus' mom met her dad. They instantly fell in love and got married. After a while of the threesome living together, Mrs. Aran gave birth to Samus and then it started from there.

"She wanted to know if I wanted to continue my career in music."

"And you said…"

"I did. But then I told her I sometimes think about doing other things besides singing all the time and…"

"You didn't stop singing on her behalf did you?" Falcon interrupted. "Listen Samus. Whatever happens, don't stop singing." He held his hand up so his sister wouldn't question him. "The reason why is if you quit, who knows what will happen next. Things may go down hill from there. Remember Sam, we're trying to keep our family together. You and your singing and me…"

"At the race tracks," Samus finished. "Don't worry. I'm willing to do it as long as they can stay together. But don't try to play this charade with me. I know why you really want to keep me singing."

"And that would be…"

"Money and money alone. You just want to stay rich and have as much money as possible. Even if it means sniveling around the money I make," Samus answered. "You come in here with the cute and adorable "I'm such a nice brother who cares for her sister" talk. Who are you trying to kid?"

Falcon closed his eyes and chuckled. "Nothing gets past you. Yes it may be true that I love money, but I do have a heart for other people like my little sister."

"Somehow, I don't think you've changed since the last time I've seen you." Samus replied. "You've always tried to con me ever since we were little kids. Well I'm not four years old anymore, bro. You can't fool me."

"Fine! I did come in here for that precise reason. I heard about the argument earlier and I came to warn you about it. If you slip on your singing or I even fail on my races, we can kiss our fame filled lives good-bye. It will be done. Finished. Finito! Then what will Mom and Pop's think of you Samus?"

Samus didn't respond. She simply turned away and sighed.

Falcon eased up his assault, not wanting to upset her. "You know I'm right. For everyone's sake, you better not screw anything up. Or else you'll be wrecking the family. And you know how badly you want to keep the two together."

"I know what I'm doing, Douglas." Samus answered "Now if you don't mind. I want to be alone right now."

"Alright alright! I'm outta here. But remember what I've said…you have been warned." He turned around and went out the door slamming it behind him.

Samus blew her blonde bangs out of her face in frustration and turned back to look at the morning traffic. It was still in the same condition. That was how Samus' heart felt. She listened to her signals in the street to awaken from all her troubles. It was time to start the day.

**Airport**

Peach kept her eyes on the gate. She gulped back the anxiety in her stomach. _Okay this is it. She'll be here in less than five minutes. But what am I nervous about? It's just the same bratty sister I left in Joypadana. There's nothing to be jumpy about._

There was a soft melodic tone that came on over the intercom. When the tune finished a female voice came on and spoke out all the flights that just flew in. The fourth one said matched the one Peach's sister was on. Sure enough as she looked at the flight gate once more, there appeared only two females. Peach knew it was Zelda since she was told she was coming in on a private plane. But a smile formed on her face when she realized who the second woman was.

"Impa!" she called waving her hands in the air.

The nursemaid Impa turned to the sound of Peach's voice. As she looked at her she gasped in awe. "Peach? Is that really you?"

Peach hurried over to her nursemaid and grinned. "Yes it is."

Impa's face was beaming. "Peach." She couldn't believe how much the girl she had taken care of for years had grown. She approached the young woman and hugged her tightly. "It's been so long since the last time I've seen you. You have grown into a lovely young woman."

"Hmm…" Zelda said stopping Peach from responding. She looked Peach up and down. "Maybe on the outside, but the inside…"

"For you own safety, Zelda. Please don't allow my hands to do the talking." Peach's fists started to ball up.

Impa looked at the two girls and sighed. "Please, can't you two get along? It's been a long time since you two have seen each other."

"I can try. But from my past experiences with this pampered brat, it's clear that she can't." Peach responded.

Zelda turned from her sister. "I have no problem with you, Peach. Just keep your distance in public. I don't want anyone to realize we're related."

"Ladies. You're going to be sharing this city for a very long time and you should start trying to make the best of it. In a good way," Impa added. Impa realized she was being ignored as she saw the girls glaring each other down. She didn't know how these two were going to possibly stay in the same city.

"I'm going to pick up my bags." Zelda muttered as she walked away from the duo.

"So she picks up bags now? Last time I saw her, she had servants doing that for her. Glad to see she's changed slightly," Peach said to Impa.

Impa nodded. "She's improving a bit more. But how have you been Peach? It's been such a long time since we last saw you. Are you enjoying Nintendo? I hear there's a lot of ways to entertain yourself here."

"I love it here. I like the excitement every night and the people here are really nice compared to those in Joypadana. They're all hospitable and friendly."

"So sort of like the movie Pleasantville?" Impa joked. "With everything so perfect. Everyone gets good grades, no crimes, and everyone gets along."

Peach laughed. Impa had always tried to keep Peach high in spirits by paling around with her all the time. "Not exactly, Impa. I mean there are still the criminals and the freaky homeless people who want to wash your windows for a dollar."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. How is your money situation right now? You're getting along fine without your parents' money?"

Peach groaned. "Impa, I love money. But I'd nail my fingers to the wall before I ask my parents for money. I just want to earn my own way without being stereotyped as stuck-up, snooty, careless, rich tycoon."

"I see what you mean. But it couldn't hurt for you to come and visit the mansion for the holidays. It's not the same without you."

"Seeing my mother and father haven't called me since I ran away from home, I'm sure they're getting along just fine," Peach muttered out of anger. "With all that money shoved up their butts, why would they even miss their own child?"

Impa tried to suppress her laughter from Peach's insult toward the Harkinians. "They're just busy and a little tensed. It's not easy for them to find time to do everything. Though I believe finding time to be with your kids is more important than money. But it isn't my say. So why not give them another.."

"Impa. It's not going to work. I love how my life is right now and I never want to return to that horrible lifestyle I once lived. Please try to get the fact that I want to be born a new being."

Impa sighed. "The same little explorer and independent girl I knew ever since you learned how to crawl. I guess some things never change." The two friends shared in a heart-filled laugh.

Zelda grabbed her bag off the moving conveyor belt carousel of luggage. She could see Peach and Impa talking with each other. Zelda could not understand what was so great about the little runaway. She pulled the strap of her bag onto her shoulder and started to walk back to the duo.

"Sorry to interrupt this friendly gathering." Zelda cut their lively conversation short. "But we need to go. You have the key to the apartment?"

"Oh!" Peach bit her lip. _I knew there was something I forgot when I left the hostel this morning. This is just wonderful now they're going to have to come down to where I live. _"I forgot it. It's at home."

Zelda shook her head as if expecting that answer. "Of course you forgot. So will we be picking up your brain at home as well?" she scoffed.

Peach took a step forward. It took all her power to ease her anger. Impa helped by placing a hand on her arm. "It's okay, Peach. We'll just go by your place and get them. That's alright with you isn't it?"

Peach sighed. "Yeah, it's fine. Follow me."

"If I would have known we were going to go out in the ghetto to go retrieve your key, I would have brought less things."

Peach gritted her teeth at her sister's hurtful words. She didn't know how long she would be able to keep her sanity around her sister.

**Samus' Room (Later That Night)**

"The night sky is very beautiful tonight," Samus' mother commented.

"How can it be beautiful, Mom? It's full of rain clouds, lightning, and thunder. This kind of weather is nasty to me," Samus winced as her mother tugged at her hair a bit with her comb.

"I love rain. The best thing about this weather is it's like a waterfall of cleansing water. Every time I step out in the rain, I feel like I'm being cleansed of all my wrongdoings." Her mother continued to try to get the knots out of her daughter's hair. "Samus, you should really try to take much better care of your hair. It's full of little kinks and knots."

"I really could care less about my appearance. I'm not pretty anyway. I'm just a plain-faced looking girl. Nothing special like you, Mom. Everyone always compliments on how beautiful you are."

"But Sammie, everyone thinks of us to be like twins. So if you're ugly… I'm ugly," her mother concluded.

Samus smiled a bit. "Mom… you tell me this all the time. But I just don't see it… how can anyone find any beauty in this face?"

Mrs. Aran stopped combing out her daughter's hair. "I believe there was someone who really thought you were absolutely gorgeous. He'd never let you forget it either."

"Don't…say…his name," Samus said sharply warning her mother. "I never want to hear it again."

"Sammie, I don't know what has gotten into you lately. This was your friend who cared deeply for you and you the same for him. Oh… I remember it just like it was yesterday. You two were only about five and seven years old. Playing together. It was so sweet."

Samus plugged her ears. "I said stop, Mom!" she yelled. Her mother became silent. "I hate those memories and I want'em to stay away!"

Samus turned to face her mother. She was looking back at her with the same sad sparkling green eyes. Samus feel her own eyes starting to get misty and her face was getting hot. She shut her eyes to try and hide them but they just escaped through the open crevices of her eyes and found their way down her cheeks. Tears. The one thing Samus hated about herself was when she would become emotional. She wanted to be strong enough to handle things without crying. But every time this subject would be brought up the tears would triumph.

Her mother hung her head down. "I'm sorry hon. I know the subject upsets you."

Samus wiped the tears away. "No it doesn't. It just makes me remember things about before." But she couldn't stop all the crying. "Why am I crying? I'm over it. I'm not seventeen and naïve anymore. I've gotten over it, haven't I?"

Mrs. Aran circled her arms around her daughter and held her close. "Sammie, it's okay to be sad about it. I know it was very hard for you. Some memories you can't send away. They're too important and dear to you."

"I've tried to forget about it Mom. But that day just keeps coming back and haunting me. I even dream about it at night, only it's more severe. The pain never stops."

"Samus. It is very appalling about what happened between you and him. I can't believe how much he had changed from the boy we once knew. But he's hard to forget."

Samus got comfortable in her Mom's arms. "I know. That's why I've been trying so hard to forget him. He's the reason why I struggle with what I want in life now. He took a chunk of my life away when he left for good." She raised her eyes up to look at her mother. "Mom. Can you keep a secret?"

"You know I can, Sammie. What is it?" she asked anxiously.

"Last night, after you and I talked outside the restaurant, I was walking up the steps to the restaurant. Then suddenly I slipped off one of the steps and fell but someone… this person caught me before I fell."

"How come I didn't see this? What happened next?"

Samus got loose from her mother's grasp. "Well…he asked me if I was alright. He knew my name. I told him I was fine and then he complimented me by saying my face was pretty."

"I told you, you have a beautiful face Sam." Her mother pointed out.

Samus rolled her eyes. "That's beside the point, Mom. He knows my name and I don't know him."

"Well, you must have. Did you ask him?"

"No. He got away before I can tell him anything. But he was so… familiar Mom. His voice was so… I don't know. It sounded like…you know who."

"Him? Who knows, it might've been."

"Heh, that's straight out impossible. He ought to be stupid if he ever showed his face around here again. Not after what happened. It had to be someone else I know."

Samus' mother shrugged, even if she was sure about her conjecture. "Whatever you say. Even if it isn't, it was nice of the man to save you from an injury."

"Mm-hmm." She fiddled with the strap of her green pajama top. "It could never be him. That man has no soul."

"Samus." Mrs. Aran scolded.

Before she could start, the door to her room opened. Her dad appeared through the door with a big grin on his face. "Hello family!" he called.

Behind him was Samus' brother Falcon. "What's up everyone!"

Mrs. Aran beamed. "Douglas!"

Falcon smiled at the sound of his name and walked over to his mom and gave her a hug. "Hey, Mom! I missed ya."

"I've missed you too. When did you get here? I didn't see you."

"You were out at the studio when I got here. I only met up with Sam." Falcon let go of his mother. "I thought I'd surprise you by showing up uninvited."

"Well, you did." Mrs. Aran was now in a happier mood. "I've had no time to prepare myself for your visit."

"Yeah," Samus piped in. "We don't have our refrigerator restocked yet."

"Okay you two. Cool it." Mr. Aran said realizing Falcon was going to retaliate to Samus' jocular behavior. "I have some exciting news for everyone. Have a seat on the bed Falcon." He waited for his son to sit down on the bed on the other side of his mother. He grinned. "Now, you all remember Great Aunt Elmira right?"

"Elmira, the snob who's the aunt of our uncle's wife?" Samus asked.

"The old prune," Falcon added.

"No, no." Her mother corrected her children. "You mean the old windbag who almost let my son drown in her pool and didn't do anything about it."

"Um… yes her," Mr. Aran answered. "Anyway she passed away just three days ago!" he said in a happy tone.

Mrs. Aran was a bit struck by his expression. "Honey… I know we never found an interest in the old basket case. But shouldn't we be a little sincere to the fact that she died?"

"Baby, I would be. But get this. They were reading off her will and it seems the old lady had an interest in us."

"Really? I thought she hated our whole family."

"Nope. She seemed to like us a lot or thought we were unfortunate. But here's the good news. She's giving her large mansion to us with everything inside it!" he exclaimed.

Samus eyes grew big with a grin as big as her father's. "No way! You mean the house with the giant lake in the backyard and a view of the bigger ocean past the gate?"

"Yep."

Falcon was getting happy himself. "The house with thousands of different old fashion models of every car made, courtesy of our Great Uncle Clyde?"

"That's right."

"The same house with over ten bedrooms and sits in one of the nicest places here in Nintendo?" Mrs. Aran hoped.

"That's the one. Though she's selling the mansion..."

"What! Selling it? What about the cars?" Falcon interrupted.

"Everyone will get exactly one car...per family." Darren Aran added, making Falcon mutter a curse word under his breath and Samus laugh in a teasing way. "But that won't matter once we get a hold of some of the money in that safe! And I'm talking thousands family!"

"Oh Darren that's wonderful!" Mrs. Aran hopped out of her seat and hugged her husband.

Samus smiled. "Dad that's great!"

"I know. With the money from the house. We can get you into bigger and better gigs Sam. But your middle name is going to have to be "Commitment" if you want this fame."

Samus' smile dropped for a moment. "I have to be committed to it?" Samus caught the look in her mother's eyes but turned away from it.

Mr. Aran nodded. "Yes. If you want to be known in this world you have to free up your schedule.

You're going to be on your way Samus, but it's going to take some sacrifices."

Samus didn't realize this was going to change many things about her life. But she didn't want to let her parents down. She nodded. "Okay. I'll do it."

Her father smiled and surprisingly her mother was too. She saw Falcon smirking as if telling her she made the right decision.

"You won't regret it Sam. This will be a big step for you."

Samus nodded. _I hope so._

**The Hostel**

Link started to shuffle the cards in his hands. He did a few card tricks and then slammed the cards on the table making his new friends Roy, Krystal, and another person in the hostile name Fox McCloud. He passed two cards to everyone and himself and then placed them back on the table.

"Okay any hits?" Link asked.

"Hit me," Krystal said.

"And me," Fox said.

"Alright…Roy?"

"No, I'm straight," he answered.

"Alright then. Place your wagers." Link put two large candy bars out on the table. They decided to play Blackjack with candy since they were all pretty low on their funds. His friends put in their wagers, but Link frowned when he saw what Roy put in. "A pixie stick, Roy?"

"It's all I have left. You guys robbed me blind of all my candy," Roy replied. "Besides its apple flavored, giving it more value than **_your _**two candy bars."

"Right…anyway lay your cards out!"

"I got 19!" Fox called.

"Oh! I only got 18. No fair!" Krystal pouted.

"I have 20." Link said with a grin. " So I beat you both. Roy?"

Roy sighed. "Gee… I guess Link can't be beat," He said sadly. "Except…BAM! I got 21!" He laughed. "HA! YOUR CANDY IS MINE!"

"Aww…man. We've been duped," Link said heatedly.

"Bamboozled!" Fox added.

Krystal just laughed. "It's only candy, boys."

"Which is now mine." Roy grabbed all the candy with both his arms. "All mine! Thank you my lucky pixie stick!"

As the group gathered the cards up, Peach entered the lounge. She spotted her friends and lightly smiled. "Hey."

"Hey!" they all replied back.

Zelda who was standing by the door made her way over to Peach. "Come on. No time to chat we have to…" Zelda stopped talking when she looked at the surrounding area. She had never seen such a place. Compared to her rich life style, this place seemed like a dump. The walls were old and the wallpaper was peeling. The couches were old and dusty. The desks and chairs were broken and busted but able to be sat in. Zelda face was full of disgust. " Wow I didn't know your living conditions were this bad."

The group at the table were looking over at her now. Peach sighed. "You guys, this is Zelda Harkinian. My sister."

"Hi," everyone said with hospitable smiles on their faces.

Zelda crossed her arms. "Hello," she said flatly.

Peach looked at her friends. "Keep her company till I get back please?"

"Sure," Roy answered as she left for her room. He turned his attention to Zelda."Zelda eh? So you're the br-

"Roy!" Krystal cut him off. She smiled at Zelda. "It's nice to meet you, Zelda. Are you enjoying it here in Nintendo so far?"

"Hmm… well the airport was nice and the drive here was okay… but I think this is the worst place I've been now," Zelda responded.

Krystal grew quiet. She didn't know how to respond to that. Fox took up where she left off. "It's not best living conditions, but we're all content here. We find ourselves all the same here."

"Oh. So you all are broke, and have neither jobs nor hopes of ever getting a real life," Zelda answered.

Fox fell quiet ready to make a rude remark but Link stopped him. "I wouldn't say that, Zelda. You have to start small and work your way up."

"You wouldn't be that way if you were all successful," Zelda retorted.

"True I agree, but not all of us grew up in a rich society like you. So we gotta just work with what we had. And who knows? Maybe we'll end up being like you."

Zelda laughed as if it were a joke. "I doubt it! This place seems like the pits. I'm glad my home will look nothing like this."

Young Link entered the room with Pikachu in his arms. "Big bro can you read me a story before I go to bed?"

Zelda looked at the newcomer. She guessed it was the blonde's younger brother. She noticed the animal her was carrying. "Is that a rat in your arms?"

Young Link looked at Zelda and lightly smiled very nervous. "Uh…yes. But he's a Pokémon so he's different from regular big black rats."

Zelda shook her head. " A rat's a rat." Without another word she turned from the boy who now had a sad look on his face along with the Pokémon, who's ears were now drooping and looked back at the his big brother. "Now what's your name?"

"Link Gaiden," Link answered.

"I see," Zelda stated. "It seems you're pretty confident that there's hope for people like you."

"There always is. Not everyone has to be like you. Otherwise this place would be filled with snobs," Link retaliated.

Zelda stared at him in shock. She started to grow angry. "What are you trying to imply? If you're trying to say I'm a snob, I'm not! I am just trying to say that I'm already successful because I lived in a home that could give me everything."

"Sounds like a snob to me," Link said calmly. " A snob's a snob after all."

Zelda narrowed her eyes at the man. Just before she could say something Peach came back into the room.

"I've got the key. Let's get moving."

Zelda glared at Link on last time, who simply smiled innocently at her. "Fine by me!" She flipped around and headed out the front door.

Peach shut her eyes as she heard Zelda slam the door. She rolled her eyes and turned to her friends. "Nothing bad happened I hoped?"

"Oh no. Everything went real smooth thanks to our ole buddy Link Gaiden here," Roy replied while pointing to Link. "We'll catch ya when you get back."

Peach nodded and headed out the door after Zelda. When the door was shut, Roy stared at Link. "Did you really just insult that girl? I mean I know she deserved it, but dang. You kept on going."

Link shrugged as he patted his younger brother on the head, making him feel a little bit better about Zelda's earlier rude comment. "I don't see what I did wrong. I just told her the truth."

"You should have kept it to yourself. She could have you put away for saying stuff like that, man," Fox said.

"I know. But something kept telling me she needed to hear that."

Krystal frowned. "I just hope you won't treat her the same way when we all go to school together."

"So she's going to our school huh? Interesting." Link smirked. _I wanna find out a little bit more about this Zelda Harkinian._

Peach was following slowly behind Zelda and Impa. Peach and Impa had talked a bit more on the ride to the place but Zelda had been silent. They were now walking on the 11th floor where their rooms were.

Impa went along ahead and opened the front door to the apartment. She opened it swiftly, "I'll make

sure to call you in the morning Peach." She said before entering the room.

"Alright," Peach didn't get a chance to look inside because Zelda was now glaring her down. But she could see that the room was very nice looking.

"Such a nice place isn't it? Starting to wish you didn't make such a foolish mistake?" Zelda smirked.

"No! I'm fine with how I'm living now." Peach crossed her arms. "My friends are there and that's all I need."

"Well, you have a bad choice in friends. Especially that Link character." Zelda glared angrily remembering what he had said to her. "Calling me a snob."

Peach gasped sarcastically. "He said that?" Zelda nodded. Peach lowered her eyes and smirked. "Well, I guess he pretty much hit the nail on the head with that one."

Zelda growled in anger. "Why don't you just leave? I don't want to see your ugly face anymore!"

"Gladly! As of right now, we don't have to say another word to each other."

"Fine! You'll just have to see me when I'm famous!" Zelda slammed the door in Peach's face.

"Yeah, if anyone will hire someone as stuck-up as you!" She kicked the door in anger and stormed off. _Stupid girl!_

Zelda pushed her back against the door. _I hate her and that jerk Link! He doesn't know anything about fame. That's why he lives there. I'll show them all!_

* * *

**A/N:** _Another dull chapter… but hey here's the good thing. Now that the three crappy chapters are out of the way, we can really get this story started. The next chapter will be when the story really starts! Until then see ya! Please Review._

**_Royal Kenya_**


	5. Chapter Four

_Hey guys! I updated this before I go back to school tomorrow! It's my last gift before updating gets a bit harder when school starts! I wanted to say thanks for your great reviews last chapter. I've had times when I wanted to delete this, but all your reviews are very encouraging. Thanks again! Now we're going to try and start this story! Hope you like it!_

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**Chapter Four**

Summer vacation had come to an end in Nintendo. But during that month, things had changed for the three girls. Zelda was already dancing in the studio with no problem. She was flawless in her routine and she is being trained by one of the best coaches she can get in dance and ice-skating. Peach finally got the dream job she always wanted, but small photos weren't exactly what she planned. Samus was singing and singing...but somehow, she felt she wasn't going anywhere.

The three ladies were ready...ready for their transformations...good or bad? They weren't sure what struggles or successes were lying on their paths.

**Nintendo Fine Arts College**

"23…17…8. And…" Krystal tugged at her locker. "It… should…open!" Krystal lost her grip on the slippery lock.

Peach yawned and leaned against the locker next to hers. "Krys, you never have luck with any of the lockers you get, huh?"

Krystal finally opened her locker. "It's not my fault. Lockers just never seem to like me. I've been cursed with this since the very first year of college. That's how we became friends, remember?" She set down all the books she didn't need.

"How could I forget? We never talked to each other in the hostel. But then at school, you were trying to open your locker and it all of a sudden flew open and you fell back and landed on me and we both fell on the ground. It was friendship at first fall."

The vulpine placed her last book in her backpack and then shut the locker. "Ah, good memories."

The girls started to walk to their meeting spot. "So…what's the deal with you and Fox? Were you able to convince him not to sign up for the job?"

"I tried. But he said, and I quote "As long as Falco is going to do it, I'll be following right after him. For we are rivals." Krystal mocked Fox's voice easily. She narrowed her eyes in disgust.

Peach looked at her friend with concern. "This must really be a big issue to you. I never see you angry about anything."

"Could you blame me? It's just so stupid. Falco has been a pro at this for years since he has piloting ancestors from who knows how long ago. So of course Falco going to have a little bit of talent. But the only person who's ever done this job in Fox's family is his dad and… you know what happened to him." Krystal's voice started to fade slowly.

Peach remembered the tragic story all too well."It's terrible. But sometimes it's in a person's blood to follow in their father or mother's footsteps."

Krystal shrugged helplessly. "Peach, I don't know what to do. I'm worried for his safety. But he's so stubborn. He can't see how dangerous it is."

The girls continued to walk until they reached the entrance to a large circular building. As Peach opened the door, she looked back at the still saddened Krystal."Just keep working at it, and hopefully he will understand one day."

The large circular building was called The Oasis. It was a little hangout where all the college students would gather for lunch or just for some place to hang after or before classes. Through the crowd of students Krystal spotted Link, Roy, and Fox. They rushed through the crowded room to their usual table in the corner.

Roy was busy writing in his notebook."Hey, what's up?" he asked without glancing up at the ladies.

Peach sat down on Link's right and Krystal sat down across from Fox. "Just trying to dodge all the incoming freshmen and annoying sophomores as usual."

Link looked up from a math book he was reading. "Have you run into your sister as well?"

"To tell you the truth, I didn't see Zelda at all today. She was probably preparing herself for her dance class. They start today promptly at three-thirty. Why is your dance teacher like that Krys?"

"Madame Leona is a very weird dance teacher. Being from a foreign land no one has ever heard of and all that. But I guess she means well. I'm betting your sister is already in the class, warming up and getting ready for the first lesson."

Peach frowned. "I could care less. Link is the one who brought her up in this conversation, which brings me my next question. What is your fascination with her anyway? On the way home she mentioned how you were messing with her mind and insulting her. Not that I'm hurt by that or anything."

Link shrugged. "I really don't know. Something just clicked when I saw her and then it happened. I don't know if it's a fascination I have with her. You get what I'm saying?"

"Not anymore than usual." Peach looked in her own backpack and pulled out her valued Pink PDA. It was the only gift her parents gave she did keep. She looked over to the side of the room and saw a face that looked vaguely familiar. It was a girl with blonde hair and green eyes. "Hey Roy? Isn't that the same girl we met during the summer about a month ago?"

Roy looked away from his notebook and followed Peach's eyes. He immediately remembered and it brought a rising panic to his stomach. "It's that girl I knocked down last month. And then her monstrous body guard tried to kill me."

Peach rolled her eyes. "Don't believe what Roy says. The man's name was Ganon-something-or-other… I don't remember. Yeah, he just picked up Roy and lectured him. If the girl didn't say anything, he probably would have only thrown us out."

"Oh, she's sitting there all alone," Krystal said sympathetically. "Someone should ask her to come sit with us."

Roy's eyes widened. "Sit here with us? Heck no!"

Krystal blinked. "Why not? She's by herself."

"How do you know that Krys? For all we know, her bodyguard could be in this room." The panicky Roy looked around the room. "Lurking in the shadows."

"Roy, grow some backbone. One frightening experience and you cower up like a dog when it sees water. If no one else is going to do it, I'm going to." Peach stood up and made her way over to the table.

"I'll join you," Link said as he dropped his math book and rose from his seat.

Samus' eyes were slowly drooping. It was hard for her to stay awake after her late concert last night. Lately, the young woman's life tended to be really busy with the gigs at clubs. Sure it was small time, but she was becoming well known. She was getting good compliments from people she wouldn't know. The little unknown girl she used to be was finally being seen in the light.

She could remember how proud her parents were with the first concert she had. It was the one time Samus felt happy about singing. There wasn't a single fight the whole night. But it was a very large commitment for her. If she wasn't doing a concert or rehearsing she was busy doing homework. But during her homework, she couldn't help but remember all the encouragement she got from her family and… a person once called her friend and even more.

That old friend of hers was mainly on her mind. Memories of the friend came through her head over and over again. They were all good memories until she remembered the last words she heard from him. She could hear them all in her mind.

_I only will be gone for a while. I promise I'll come back to you._

_I can't return to you… I have found something better. We may never speak again. You won't mind anyway. When you become famous, you'll forget all about me and I don't need to be carrying a famous burden around like you. You and me aren't going to be as close as we used to be with our different careers. I need to find someone who takes interest in what I do._

_You're better off on your own._

Samus could feel her face growing hot, but she was able to suppress her tears. She angrily stabbed her pencil into her paper. _People like him come around every time the sun rises. I should have known from the start he was like every other guy._

"Excuse me?"

Samus looked up from her paper to see two older students looking down at her. Both had blonde hair and blue eyes but one was a female and the other was male. Samus thought the female looked very familiar.

The female spoke. "Sorry to intrude on your studying. we were just walking by when we saw you here by yourself. "

"It's alright," Samus answered quickly while pushing her papers aside. "I wasn't really into doing my homework anyway." She knew her, but she just wanted to double-check. "Um… have we met before?" she tested the blonde.

The female smiled. "Actually we have. It was about a month ago at that fancy apartment building. My red haired companion over there accidentally knocked you over and your bodyguard kinda lost it."

Samus remembered the redhead as she looked over at the table he was sitting at."Yes, I thought it was you. It's nice to see a familiar face here. I don't think we properly introduced ourselves last time."

Peach nodded. "You're right, we didn't. Hi! My name's Peach Toadstool. And yours…"

"My name is…" Samus stopped when she noticed the other blonde was now staring at her rather closely. "Erm… can I help you?"

"Maybe…" he answered. He moved even closer while examining Samus' facial features, making her lean back to retrieve her personal space. "Pale blonde hair…green eyes… and that smile." He looked Samus over thoroughly again then met at her eyes again. "You're related to Lydia Aran aren't you?"

"Lydia Aran? You mean the singer?" Peach scoffed. "Don't be silly. Lots of people have pale blonde hair and green eyes. Besides, I doubt someone related to someone as famous as Lydia would just be attending a regular school such as this."

"Actually…" Samus looked down at her lap. "We are related. She's my mother."

Peach gaped at her astounding confession. "You can't be serious. No way!" She started staring at Samus the same way her friend had. "What proof do you have?"

Samus thought about that for a moment and then remembered the necklace hanging around her neck. It was a gold necklace that looked like a small backstage pass. She opened it. "It's a photo of me and my mother."

Peach took a hold of the necklace. After comparing the picture to Samus, she gasped. "You're the cute little girl in the picture. So… that must mean you're…"

"Samus Aran." Samus ended her sentence.

"I thought so." The blonde male held out his hand. "My name's Link Gaiden. Sorry about the staring earlier. I just knew I had seen you somewhere before. It was on that little flyer I found hanging to a telephone pole. So you're a singer too?"

"That would be correct." Samus answered.

"So we have someone famous here." Peach sat down next to Samus. "I have never been this close to a celebrity before. You'd think someone like you would be surrounding by a whole bunch of students here."

Samus cracked a smile. "I'm not that famous yet. So, I still eat alone."

"Well, how about you come and sit with us? We have plenty of room." Peach asked.

Samus hesitated. "Is this an invite from a senior in college to a little sophomore like me?"

"Trust me, we're not like that. The "upperclassmen better than you" stuff ended in high school. We're all respected equally here. So how bout it?"

"Um." Samus took a moment to glance at her watch. "That sounds really nice. But I must be getting to my dad's music studio for recording." She quickly gathered things. "But it was nice to meet you two. I'll see you around."

Link watched as Samus headed towards the exit. "You scared her, Peach."

"Says the guy who was staring at the poor girl in the face," Peach retorted. "But no worries. We'll get her to talk to us."

"Why so determined?"

"You see. If your name isn't Zelda Harkinian, then I should have no reason to dislike you and vice versa." Peach winked. "That's my slogan."

"Hey Peach." Roy was walking up to the duo with his things on his back. Krystal and Fox had left. "Isn't it time for you to be somewhere?"

She looked at her watch. "Yes! It's time to go pick up my pictures from modeling. I can't wait to see how they turned out!" Peach turned to Link. "You wanna come see them with me and Roy?"

Link smiled but shook his head. "No thanks. I'm sure you'll tell us all about them when you get back. I have other things to tend to after I pick up my little bro."

"Well… okay," Peach answered slowly. "Guess we'll see you later then."

Link waved at Roy as he nodded to him. He smirked. "Time to go pay a visit to a certain special someone."

**Dance Class**

Krystal walked into her dance class, being early as usual. She thought she was the only one in her room, until she saw Peach's sister Zelda in the corner of the room. She was stretching her long legs against the bar and bending her body over the lifted leg. As Krystal took another step into her room, Zelda lifted her head. She looked at Krystal through the corner of her eye.

Krystal gulped when she realized she was spotted. Even if she was older than Zelda, she was a bit intimidated by her. "Hi…remember me?"

Zelda continued to stare at her. She sighed heavily as she removed her leg from the bar. "You're my sister's friend."

"Krystal," she answered softly.

"Right," Zelda placed her hands on her hips. "Don't tell me you're in this dance class too. I thought there was no one in an A ranking dance class."

Krystal gently grabbed her right elbow with her left hand, a gesture caused by nervousness. "I-I am in this class. I've been in advance dance for years now."

"I see." Zelda hated to see other people up in the same ranks as she was. If she was going to stand out, she had to get rid of all the boulders in her way. Namely Krystal and any other dancer in the class.

Krystal tried to make small talk. "I think it's great… I mean that someone… at your age is in this class. Normally…they're aren't…people your age who get this far… you must've been really good…"

"Listen, Krystal. I guess my sister never told you about me being a great dancer for practically all my life. I could of have been in this class at any time. I'm the best there is."

"Hold on a second." Krystal started to gain some strength in her words. "Don't start rating yourself as the greatest dancer just yet. This is the first day of advance class, Zelda. These aren't going to be regular dancers. We all have something to bring to the table and it's not going to be easy for you to call yourself the best."

Zelda scoffed. "Right…" As Zelda faced away from her, the front door opened and two girls walked into the room. One was a little on the short side and had green hair and blue eyes, while the other had red hair and big blue eyes.

Krystal smiled as they walked in. "Hi Malon. Hey Saria!"

Malon Romania noticed Krystal first. "Oh Krys, you made it into this class too? This is cool! The three of us can be together again. There is only three of us in here right?"

Krystal shook her head and pointed to Zelda. "Meet the fourth member."

Saria looked at Zelda. "Welcome! My name's Saria Kokiri."

Zelda crossed her arms. "Zelda Harkinian."

Saria froze. She recognized that last name all too well.

Malon flipped her hair back behind her shoulders. "Nice to meet you. So… we all were good enough to make it on to this advanced dance class. Those auditions were very difficult."

"Just good enough? Please," Zelda said confidently. "The auditions were easy. Your guys' performances must've been really mediocre."

Saria smirked. "Well aren't you just lil Miss Spectacular?" She spoke sarcastically. "Better recognize where you are and know your place. It's behind me."

Zelda glared. "Don't make me have to embarrass you in front of your friends. I don't want to dance circles around you."

Before Saria could respond, the door opened and a woman entered the room. She was as skinny as a pole. She had a very pointy nose and tiny but sharp brown eyes. Her brown hair was placed in a bun.

"Hello, young ladies." She said as she walked over to a coat rack in the corner of the room. "I will be your dance teacher. Madame Leona," She said in an unknown foreign accent.

"Hello Madame Leona." everyone chanted.

"There is no time for the 'how-do-you do's'. The only languages I want to hear are the elegant languages of dance. From now on, let your feet do the talking for you. Now today's lesson is of course ballet, as told in your schedules. So let's get into our outfits and do some independent stretching and meet here in ten minutes."

Zelda sighed and leaned against a nearby wall watching everyone leave the room to get changed in the locker room. She had already dressed in her leotard earlier. "So these are my classmates? Being the best in this class will just be a snap."

"Kinda jumping the gun aren't you?" A voice said with a chuckle.

Zelda turned to door and mustered up a face of disgust. Another one of her sister's friends. The one she disgusted and which she vaguely remembered him being named Link Gaiden. She placed her hands on her hips as she pushed off the wall. "What are you doing here? This is a private class, so leave!" Link didn't budge from the doorway. He smirked. "Don't be so rash. I just came to wish you some luck on your first day in this advance class."

She narrowed her eyes at the man. "I don't need the luck. I'm going to do fine. Is that all you came here for?"

"No," Link answered. "I also wanted to apologize for my actions earlier this summer when you first arrived."

"Well, you sure took your time with your apology."

"Its hard to track you down. I'm guessing you were too busy practicing for dance without taking a break to breathe?"

"Being a dancing supreme is a 24/7 job. But that still doesn't excuse what you said to me. You called me snobbish. Now if I don't know any better, I'd say that was a hint to me that you're envious of me. So you sunk to insults."

Link shoved his hands into the pockets of his black jacket. "It was only out of sheer fun. I didn't know you were going to take it to heart like that."

Zelda turned from Link. "I didn't take it to heart. I let comments like that fly right past me."

Link chuckled. "Your sister was right. You're really snippy and witty. I must say it's an amusing side to you. The way you just strut around the room like the queen of everything." Link proceeded walking around her, mimicking her tough and confident walk. "You sure know how to spark up your classmates."

"I'm just letting them know that I'm going to be some tough competition. Even though there's no contest. They'll see pretty soon."

"You're just going to dance yourself to the top. Since you're labeled as a dancing prodigy, as you have been called."

Zelda turned to face him again. "You spend a lot of time talking to my sister don't you? I'm curious to know why you pry into my life through Peach?"

"You really wanna know?" Link walked up to Zelda slowly as she nodded. He stood only a few inches away from her. "You're like a discovery Zelda. From the first day I met you, I figured there was so much I needed to find out about you."

"So… you think I'm some kind of discovery, like the 'missing link'?"

"I wouldn't go that far. Let's just say I find you very fascinating, Miss Zelda."

_So on top of being annoying and disrespectful, he's a weirdo… _Zelda stated in her mind before speaking once again. "You know what? I see a side to you too, but I don't find it amusing. I find it annoying. This is only the second day I've seen you, and you're already a real pain!"

Link closed his eyes and clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Princess Zellie, you simply don't understand."

Zelda's eyes widened at that name. "What did you call me?"

Link opened his eyes and blinked. "What? Oh that's just a little name I picked out for you. Since you're rich, "Princess" seemed to fit. And I thought the "Zellie" part would make it sound interesting. Sounds cute, doesn't it?"

"NO!" she roared in Link's face. She was furious "Don't you ever call me that again! You're so childish!"

"Alright Zel.._da._" He emphasized the second syllable. "Can you change moods quickly or what?" He laughed only for a second, before he noticed a change in Zelda's face. Her angered face started to fall.

Zelda turned her back to him again and sighed. "Link. Can you please leave me alone?" She was never one to say please to a jerk, but something in her heart just sparked.

Link became confused. He heard a voice to Zelda that he had never heard. It was soft and it was as if it were pleading him to leave her alone. Something happened. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine! Just leave! You're annoying me, Gaiden!" Zelda said in her regular snobbish voice.

The voice was gone. She had returned to her normal self, but Link didn't forget what happened in that brief second. He decided to retreat for now. "Okay." He stepped back slowly to the door. "I'll leave you…for now. But I'd like to talk to you again."

"I doubt that we'll ever talk again," Zelda said without regret. The door closed and Zelda looked out after him. He was already jogging away from the class. Just looking at him made her have unfamiliar feelings inside of her, especially when he spoke his 'nickname' for her.

_Princess Zellie…_

Zelda leaned against the wall again. The name brought back memories from long ago.

"_Aren't you just a little princess?"_

"_All hail princess Zellie!"_

"_It's my duty to protect you Princess Zellie, as your royal knight!"_

That name meant many things to Zelda. But they were all hurtful. They were a thing of the past and she never wanted to recall them ever again. She looked down at her feet and realized she wasn't wearing her shoes. She started to leave, but Madame Leona entered the room again. She was wearing a white and blue leotard.

"It's been ten minutes!" she announced. She looked immediately at Zelda's attire. "Miss…um…" she looked at the clipboard in her hand. "… Harkinian. Yes, Miss Harkinian. Where are your ballet shoes?" she said in a demanding voice.

Zelda gulped. Her voice was very forceful. Even if she was a tough dancer, she had a weak spot when it came to authority figures with demanding voices. "They're still in my locker."

Madame Leona frowned. "Didn't I say ten minutes ago to get ready?" Zelda nodded to her question. "Well, why aren't you ready then?"

"I…"

"Her shoes are right here, Madame." Krystal dressed in a black leotard came in the room with Zelda's ballet slippers in her hands. "In the corner of the room." She handed them to Zelda. "Remember you placed them there while you were stretching."

"Thank you, Krystal." She turned to Zelda again. "This isn't a good start for you, Miss Harkinian. Please take advantage of the time I give you next time."

"Yes, Madame." Zelda grabbed the shoes from Krystal. She didn't know if Krystal had saved her or not, but she didn't care at the moment. She was already off to a bad start, which was something out of the ordinary for her.

She could see Malon and Saria in the corner of the room. Malon was listening to something Saria was telling her. Zelda knew it was about her, since Saria made eye contact with her for just a brief second. But once again, this didn't matter to her either. She knew once she danced, she would be seen in a new light. A light that would make Saria, Malon, Krystal, and even Madame Leona, start realizing her talent. Past memories still flowed through her head, but it was time to be serious and show who was the head dancer around here!

**Photo Shop**

"Come on! This is the one!" Peach exclaimed to Roy.

Roy groaned. "That's what you said at the last four photo shops."

"Well, fifth time's the charm," Peach said as she opened the door.

"You also said "third time's the charm" and the same with the fourth," Roy pointed out. "We've been out here for almost an hour looking for it."

"I know I should have remembered to bring my directions. But I'm telling you that I know the name of the photo shop."

"You said that several times too. You were wrong, wrong, and wrong," He held the door as Peach walked in.

"The difference from the other times is that I'm right this time." Peach walked forward to the front desk with Roy right behind her. There was an employee on the ground, rummaging through some boxes. Peach cleared her throat. "Excuse me?"

The man stood up and revealed his face to Peach, making her silently gasp. He had blue hair ending at the neck and dark navy blue eyes. He was smiling at her and it seemed so celebrity like. In fact, he just looked like celebrity material.

"Can I help you?" he said in a velvety voice.

Peach was a bit tongue-tied. She opened her mouth to speak, "Um..I..."

"No way!"

Roy pushed Peach out of the way carelessly and slammed his hands on the counter. He smiled as he looked at the man. "I don't believe it! It's ole blue boy!"

The man looked at him crazy for a second. But he suddenly grinned when he gave Roy a second glance. "Roy! Man, it's been a while."

Peach looked at both of them left to right. "You two know each other?"

Roy looked back at Peach. "We go way back to preschool. Peach, this is Marth Lowell, one of my close friends. Marth, this is my buddy, Peach Toadstool."

Peach held out her hand and smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Marth held her hand in his. "The pleasure is all mine, Mademoiselle." He gently lifted her hand to his lips and lightly kissed it, making Peach blush.

"Still the same Casanova." Roy rolled his eyes. "Anything to kiss a girl."

Peach was still blushing. "You can learn something from him."

Roy ignored Peach's comment. "So my friend! You're back from France already?"

"Just got back about a month and a half ago," Marth answered.

"So how was it being a -"

Marth quickly placed a finger to his lips. "Shh!" he hissed. "What did I tell you the last time you opened your mouth about that."

"Right. No one is supposed to know that you're…"

"Shh!" Marth hushed his friend again. He looked around the room. An older lady who was already present in the shop, was leaving out the front door. When she exited, Marth gave Roy an agitated stare. "That's between you and me."

Peach curiously looked at Marth. "What's between you and him?"

"Marth's a special type of inspector," Roy blurted out.

"Roy! What did I just say?" his blue haired friend exclaimed.

"What? I didn't say special CIA agent." Roy covered his mouth.

Peach looked at Marth. _He's an agent?_

Marth lowered his eyes. "Until now. You won't stop till the whole world knows. " He looked at Peach. "It's only a matter of time."

"I'm not going to tell anyone. Unlike Roy here, I know how to keep a secret to myself. You have my word that I won't tell anyone."

"You'll never tell?" Marth asked suspiciously.

"Not even in a life/death situation unless instructed to by you. Your secret is safe with me."

Marth chuckled. "For some reason, I believe you more than when I entrusted Roy with my career."

"Believe me, I've gone through the same thing with Mr. Chatterbox. I've lost count of all the secrets he's blabbed." She and Marth started to laugh.

Roy frowned. "You two think you know me so well don't you?"

"_Yes_," They chorused.

"Moving on," Roy started. "What are you doing here?"

"It's just been a while since I've been home. I thought I'd come see some old faces around here," Marth answered. "Like my parents, you, and…someone else."

"Someone else?" Roy repeated. "Who is this someone else?"

Peach could tell Marth wasn't going to respond. _Oh. I know that look anywhere. The mysterious silence. His blue eyes filled with hope. Those are the signs. And he was so sexy looking too. _Peach smirked. "So who's the girl?"

Marth turned red. "How did you know it was a girl?"

"Your face tells it all. And I'd be surprised if someone such as yourself wouldn't have a girlfriend by your side. It seems like you haven't seen her in a while."

"Impressive. It's been a very long time since I've seen her." Marth replied.

"That's so romantic," Peach cooed dreamily. "What a lucky girl. How long has it been since the last time you've seen her?"

"Two years. But we've know each other since we were little kids," he added. "I thought it would be nice to pay her a visit. Hopefully, she will happy to see me."

"Wait, you haven't seen this girl in **two years!?** Some boyfriend you turn out to be. I'd be so upset with you if I'd have to wait that long to talk to you." Peach said, making Marth feel a bit ashamed of what he said.

Marth thought about the girl. "She was never one to get mad. She understood my job and even though she hated me for leaving, she said she'd be waiting here." He sighed. "Besides, our relationship is a little more complicated than I'm giving off."

A girl popped into Roy's head. "Is this the same girl you used to ditch me for? Whenever she was around, you'd just forget about me."

Marth could recall those times in the past. "I didn't ditch you all the time, but it is the same girl. But I'd rather not talk about such a tender subject. So… what are you guys here for again?"

"Oh!" Peach had forgotten all about the pictures. "I need to pick up some pictures that I took at a studio, a few weeks ago. The owners said they would show up here."

Marth scratched his chin for a second, trying to recall the withheld photo files. "Oh right. The pictures would be in the back. Can you guys wait here for a second while I get them for you?"

Peach and Roy nodded as Marth went out the door behind the front desk. As soon as the door closed, Peach turned to Roy. "I think it's cute that Marth is meeting a girl he hasn't seen in a while. Have you met her before?"

"Not at first. Marth always kept her a secret from me, but he'd talk about her for hours with no end. But I think I saw her a few times. One time was at one of Marth's birthday parties when we were little. She was spending a lot of time with Marth at the party."

"Well… what did she look like?"

"I couldn't tell you. It was a type of costume party and I remember she was wearing a mask and was wearing a purple wig. I don't really remember anything else about her, since I haven't seen her in a long while. Although she did have a very unique name."

Peach shrugged. "Oh well. Maybe we'll meet her someday."

* * *

Samus walked across the intersection of the large street. It was in plain sight. It was the building she and her old friend used to play in together. She paused at the corner of the street and looked around. There was no sign of her brother's car, making her even more angry that he was late. She took a deep breath and continued her journey.

Just as she reached the building, the phone in her bag started to vibrate. She fumbled through her backpack until she found the phone. She placed the phone up to her right ear. "Hello?

_"Hey, Sam! Sorry I'm running a bit late!"_

"You're running very late! You know I hate walking. You know _where_ I have to go to get home and you know _whose_ house I have to past to get there."

_"I know, I know. Don't worry. I'll be there in a bit. Just stay put."_

"Fine. Just hurry up!" Samus hung up the phone. It was like taking a stroll down memory lane. Just looking at the shop coming into view brought back some memories. She remembered them exchanging school pictures there, playing on the front porch and cheering each other up when they were feeling down. It was also where he told her a secret, he had been keeping from her for years.

She wrapped her arms around herself. _Go away…you're just holding me back. I have to forget…_ But the memories played back in her head.

"_Samus, I have to tell you. For the longest time, I've been in love with you and I want to spend my life with you. Do you love me too?"_

"I was stupid enough to say yes." She balled up her fists. "I was so weak back then and I still am now. I don't know how to let go."

She was now up to the Photo Shop. It was still the same grand building. She wished she could say the same about the people who lived inside it. On the side of the wall, something caught her eye. She looked and saw a familiar sketch carved into the building. The names carved into the building were hers and of course her friend.

"I can't believe this is still here after all these years." A faint smile appeared on her lips as she touched the carving.

Samus was so mesmerized by the art, that she failed to noticed the front door to the shop open. Marth stepped outside carrying a large bag of trash. As he turned to his left, he froze. He dropped the bag in his hand, making Samus become alert and look directly at him.

Her eyes grew huge. She was in so much shock. She felt her whole body from neck and below start to become paralyzed. _This...it can't be...not after all the time that has passed._

Marth uttered the only word that could come from his mouth after seeing the woman he once loved. "Samus..."

**End Of Chapter**

* * *

**A/N: **_Yay! Its my first cliff hanger for this story. Now we're ready to get this story started. More characters later. But now Marth and Samus have been reunited after such a long time. What will this lead to? Looks like Link hit a sore spot in Zelda's past. But what? You met Saria and Malon. It seems there's something going on with Saria too. What could it be? This is my 'day before school' present to you all, because I don't know the next time it will be when I update. Well… any errors, please point them out to me. I'm a perfectionist to the max. Please review! See you when I get a break from school._

**_Royal Kenya_**

_Hi there! It's been a while. Well the first quarter of school was a lot of drama so I barely found time to write. Then there were some other occurrences slowing me down. Oh and on a side note, those who read The Love and Hate Relationship, I'm sorry but I deleted it. To those who thought it sounded good I'm glad you like it, but I had no planning for it at all. Don't worry I know I can do better than that for a sequel and there still will be one. I'm trying a new method of writting down my ideas on paper before I type them. I Anyway back to this story, luckily my family and I went on a trip two days ago and my mom took her laptop. While on the long drive, I was able to finish the chapter. But I did some more editing because I didn't like it. Don't know if I like it now. Might not be as great, so…yeah. I guess I'll need your opinion._

_Here you go!_


	6. Chapter Five

_Hi there! It's been a while. Well the first quarter of school was a lot of drama so I barely found time to write. Then there were some other occurrences slowing me down. Oh and on a side note, those who read The Love and Hate Relationship, I'm sorry but I deleted it. To those who thought it sounded good I'm glad you like it, but I had no planning for it at all. Don't worry I know I can do better than that for a sequel and there still will be one. I'm trying a new method of writting down my ideas on paper before I type them. I Anyway back to this story, luckily my family and I went on a trip two days ago and my mom took her laptop. While on the long drive, I was able to finish the chapter. But I did some more editing because I didn't like it. Don't know if I like it now. Might not be as great, so…yeah. I guess I'll need your opinion._

_Here you go!_

* * *

**Chapter Five**

It was a long stare down between Marth and Samus. They stood still, not lifting their glance to anything else but each other. Samus did let her eyes take a small glance at his physical features.

There was definitely change in him, compared to the last time she saw him. He did look a lot more mature and she could see he had really been working out while he was away. One thing that did remain the same about Marth, were his stunning blue eyes. Besides Marth's cunning manner she remembered all too well, his blue eyes usually would win her over with anything. But still, none of this mattered anymore.

Marth could see some changes in Samus also. For one thing, he remembered Samus usually being fond of having her hair very short, but she had let it grow down her back and she was a bit taller. She had a few womanly developments visible to Marth, telling him she wasn't too much of a tomboy anymore. But the only thought running through his head at the moment, was if she was still the person she was when he spoke to her last. Marth was willing to let the past go and he hoped Samus would too.

Feeling awkward about the dead silence, Marth slowly parted his lips ready to speak. "It's good to see you again, Sam."

Samus didn't say a word. She kept her stare on her old friend or whatever he was to her now.

_Okay. Small talk is obviously not going to get her talking. Any other bright ideas Marth?_ He asked himself.

"What are you doing here?" Samus muttered in a snappy tone. She didn't mean for her comment to be rude, but she couldn't help it.

Marth slightly smiled. "Well, it is my mom's Photo Shop. I have a right to be here, don't I?"

Samus would have smiled too, but she bit her lip to prevent her from doing so. Marth's smile was always contagious and it made her want to melt like ice cream. But she wasn't in such a smiling mood.

"That's not what I meant." Samus crossed her arms and glared. "What are you doing here in town? Aren't you supposed to be with your group of spies or whatever they are?"

"I've finished my missions and the rest will occur here in Nintendo. So I agreed to come here so I can be home with my family and you," He answered softly.

Samus didn't respond. She didn't know why but all she wanted to do was beg him to take her back.

Marth was feeling the same way. He knew what Samus had done to him in the past was wrong and it did make his heart ache in pain. But he didn't care anymore. He just wanted her back. "You know, I really missed you." He took a step towards her. "Don't you feel the same?"

Samus took a step back. She watched his expression drop back to a frown, making her feel a little bit guilty by his reaction. "Mmm…" She darted her eyes away from him. "I…I have to go."

Before she could take off, Marth reached out and grabbed her hand. "Samus! You don't have to do this anymore."

Samus froze as her hand was held in his. She looked up and stared into his begging eyes. She stammered, "M-Marth…I…"

"YOU!"

Samus turned to the sound of the voice. She saw her older brother Falcon jumping out of his car and hurrying over. She immediately tugged her hand away from Marth. "Falcon!" she said surprised.

Falcon ignored her call, as he got right in front of his sister. He towered over Marth angrily. "Listen buddy!" he snarled. He shoved Marth hard making him back up. "Stay away from my sister."

"Hey!" Marth stood his ground in front of Falcon. He hadn't forgotten Falcon nor how intimidating he could be. "I don't want any trouble. We were just talking." He glanced at Samus for a second. He could tell she was purposely avoiding his eyes. "Tell him, Samus."

Samus jumped at the sound of her name and looked up at him again. His eyes were pleading with her to back him up, in hopes they could talk. Instead of answering him, she hid herself behind her older brother. She looked back down at her feet.

Falcon crossed his arms. "I don't care if you were talking or not. I don't want to see you anywhere around Sam. You had your chance and you blew it!"

Marth grew angry. "You think you can just come here and forbid me from seeing her? There's no chance that I'm going to stop talking to her."

The racer glared down at Marth. "Those are pretty bold words coming from trash. You think Samus wants to talk to scum like you?" he questioned.

"Don't know about scum. But I know she wants to talk to her _friend,_" Marth said.

_I would really love to talk to you._ Samus thought to herself. She mentally slapped herself. She didn't know why she was thinking such things. She could see his eyes still trying to reach hers, so she hid even more behind Falcon.

"If you would just let me speak to her for a moment..." Marth tried to ask instead of being a smart aleck.

"Forget it pretty boy! Leave her alone! Or else…"

Marth glared back at him, he had it with her brother. "I'd like to see you try to stop me…"

When Samus heard her brother cracking his knuckles, her eyes shot up from the ground. She grabbed her brother's good right arm to prevent him from hitting Marth. "Falcon don't! It's not worth it." she cried out.

Falcon growled. "But he's asking for it!" He tugged his arm away from his sister. He readied his fists. "Why not just give it to him?"

Just as he was about to launch his fist at Marth, the door to the Photo Shop swung open. Roy popped his head out with Peach behind, impatient looks on both of their faces. "Marth why are you taking so…" He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw the scene.

"Oh…" Peach's eyes froze on the scene before her. She saw the girl she remembered as Samus behind a taller and certainly older man. By the way his muscular body was built, Peach guessed he had the advantage over Marth in strength. Seeing the fighting stances, Peach knew this wasn't any ordinary confrontation.

"What's going on?" she said softly. The older guy turned his attention to Peach, and for a moment she thought he was going to lash out at her. But he just gave her a look.

Samus turned her eyes away from her brother for a moment. She knew automatically it was Peach and the red haired man, Roy. Seeing them gave her an advantage. Samus grabbed at Falcon's arm again. "Let's go, right now!" she started to tug him to the car.

Not wanting to look bad in front of the newcomers, her brother finally dropped his fists. "Fine…" he muttered. He turned his eyes back to Marth. "Listen, Lowell. In the future, leave my sister alone. There's not a chance that I'll be holding back next time."

Samus gave Falcon a hard shove. "Go and start up the car! I'll be there in a second."

"Alright! I'm going!" He backed up towards the car not taking his gaze off Marth and wavering his eyes from him to Peach.

Samus turned to the other three. She bowed her head a bit, out of habit. "Sorry about that. I didn't know he was going to flip out like that."

Roy arched an eyebrow. "Just like your bodyguard. You really know how to choose your friends, huh?"

Samus remembered what had happened in the summer. "I am still very sorry about that incident. I'll see you two at school on Monday." She would have smiled, but she noticed Marth was still looking at her. Samus turned away from him and jogged over to the car.

"Samus," He called on last time. He watched Samus pause for a moment right by the car door to answer him. She shook her head slowly and then turned back around and got in the car. Marth heard Samus tell her brother "Hurry up and go!"Sure enough the car zoomed down the streets leaving the trio.

"Wait…that was her! Samus... right?" Roy asked Marth.

Peach didn't think there would be such a connection. "You go out with her?"

Marth cringed at that last comment. He gritted his teeth. "_Did _go out with. Apparently…" He turned back to the Photo Shop and walked passed Peach and Roy. "That's a thing of the past," He muttered as he went to the side of the shop.

"Thing of the past?" Peach echoed. Becoming very curious, she scurried after him. "Wait a second, Marth," Peach exclaimed, ignoring the protests from Roy to leave him alone. She stood right by him and looked at something that was written on the side of the wall. She saw what it read clearly. It was heart and engraved in the heart was: ML and SA 4ever. Peach smiled at the cute note. "How sweet. Did you write that about you and Samus?"

"No. Samus did," Marth muttered. "I thought it was stupid, but I let her keep it there because it made her happy." He pounded his fist against the engraving. "I should get rid of it."

Peach looked at Marth. "So, Samus was the one you wanted to see?" Marth didn't answer, but Peach knew she was right in her assumptions.

"She didn't look like she wanted to see you," Roy replied.

Marth angrily punched his fist against the wall, making Peach jump at his sudden change in emotions.

"Just shut-up, Roy! Do you always have to make a stupid joke out of everything?" he lashed out. He moved past Peach and stormed into the shop slamming the door behind him.

Peach looked at Roy, in disapproval. "Roy! Why would you go in say something like that?"

"Because…if Marth isn't over this by now…he's really got some issues. I mean it's been two years. Either he fixes it, or he should just drop her altogether." Roy shoved his hands in his pockets and started to walk in the direction of the hostel. "During these past two droning years he has been talking about that girl and him to me all the time."

Peach jogged after him. "You know what's going on between the both of them?" she asked as she fell in step with him.

Roy sighed. "It's more like who doesn't know what's going on between them?"

**Nintendo College**

"Come on young ladies…stretch out those legs!" Madame Leona said while clapping her hands. "I don't see your legs at 90 degrees. They must be perfect!"

Krystal groaned as she stretched her leg out even more. She and the rest of her classmates were on mats lying on their backs. All day, their teacher had made them sit, lie, and stand in different positions, while making their legs turn into a 90-degree angle.

Krystal was sure that her leg was going to break off. "I think she wants our legs to be stuck like the ones in those jewelry boxes with the little ballerinas," Krystal joked to Malon quietly.

Malon elicited a giggle. She took a moment to push her red hair out of her face so she could look at Krystal since they were on their backs. "I know. We'll be the first human jewelry boxes."

Zelda rolled her eyes as she heard the two girls behind her giggle. _How did they get in here? They don't take dance seriously enough._ She shifted her blue eyes over to the other girl in the room named Saria.

Saria was completely focused on making her short legs a perfect right angle. She looked as if she was barely straining with it. In fact, Zelda had paid close attention to all the dancers in the class but mainly Saria. Krystal and Malon were good and Saria may have been a little bit better, but Zelda didn't care. _At least someone's focused. But that doesn't make her better than me._

Saria felt eyes on her and turned to Zelda. She smirked. "Trying to get tips from my elegance and grace?" she edged on to Zelda.

Zelda smirked also. "Not at all. But if I need an example of failure, I'll be sure to get back to you. You need a lot of work, Miss Kokiri."

Saria rolled her eyes. "Right," She said sarcastically. "And you think your big and gawky ostrich legs are perfect? Keep dreaming." she hissed.

Zelda glared at her. "Rather have ostrich legs than frog legs. All out of shape and disproportioned."

Saria's eyes widened. "Listen here…" she started angrily.

"Ahem." Madame Leona was now standing over them. "It seems we have a little cat fight here. Do we need to assign you girls to a lower dance class?"

"No," the girls muttered.

Madame Leona placed her hands on her hips. "Alright then." She walked away.

Saria straightened her legs even more. "Face it, Harkinian. I am way better than you."

"Please." Zelda lifted her legs even more. "Don't test me."

Saria glared at Zelda and continued stretching her legs to a perfect angle. Seeing Saria's angle getting better, Zelda widened her legs. Saria let out an aggravated cry and stretched even wider. Back and forth the girls widened and widened their angles.

Krystal and Malon were now sitting cross-legged on the floor and watching the girls. Krystal sighed. She knew there was going to be some competition and rivalry between her classmates.

* * *

Zelda slammed her locker shut after placing in all her items. She then pulled her sports bag onto her shoulder. It felt a little weird as she put it on, but she ignored it. She hurried out of the locker room and then out the door into the cool evening air. It was about 6:30pm and she still had to wait outside for Impa to come and get her. She hopped onto the wall and swung her feet over the edge and silently waited.

Or at least it was silent for a while.

"Hello Zelda." A sly voice cooed.

Zelda groaned. "Why do you keep bothering me?" She turned around and sure enough there was Link again. "Don't you have something better to do than follow me?"

Link grinned as he walked over to the wall she was sitting on. "No. But I wasn't following you. I was actually waiting for my friend Krystal."

"Oh. That girl in my class," Zelda replied. "Wait for her somewhere else."

"No. This is a free country, one your wealth does not own. So I'm staying here and I'm gonna like it," Link said with a laugh.

Zelda shook her head. "Whatever." She deliberately turned her eyes away from him. " Just don't talk to or look at me." She sat there and stared out at the street. She could feel his eyes just burning into her back. "Oh my gosh!" she flipped around angrily. "Don't you ever listen to what people say?"

"I would if they were telling the truth," Link answered. He climbed onto the wall next to her. "I think you want to talk to me."

Zelda scoffed. "And your theoretical reason for me wanting to want to talk to someone as annoying as you is what now?"

"Hey, I'm just telling what I've been seeing," Link answered coolly. He stood right at the back of Zelda's neck, his breath pattering against it. "I bet if I left you alone, you would be wishing I came back." Link challenged her softly.

Zelda crossed her arms. Link didn't strike any fear in her. "Why don't you try it out and we'll see?"

"Maybe one day. But I have a question for you at the moment." He stood up on the wall. Zelda kept her eyes off him. "Can I ask you my question?"

Zelda looked at him through the corner of her eye. He was still smiling that innocent grin on his face. "Your grin annoys me. But I'm curious to see what's going on in that head of yours." She turned her body in his direction. "Okay. What's your dumb question of the day?" she witted.

Link just chuckled. "Aren't you the funny one?" He opened his aquamarine eyes and his smile faded away for a moment. "What makes you like this?"

"Makes me like what?"

"So moody. You always have such a snooty attitude with everyone. The way you treat those girls in your dance class said it all." He brushed his blonde locks out of his eyes. "Is there some reason you're like this?"

Zelda gave him a look of disbelief. "I don't know what you're talking about," she responded. "This is who I am. There's no reason to how I react towards others. In fact, I see nothing wrong with how I talk to other people."

"Well, when I was watching your class… and yes I was watching." Link added as he saw the surprised look on the girl's face. "You were a bit of a Know-it-all. I noticed you answered Madame Leona's questions and rolled your eyes at everyone who got the questions wrong. If someone was dancing incorrectly you didn't give your classmates advice, you just said they didn't belong here. Didn't any of the words you said, affect you at all?"

"Why would it affect me, Gaiden?" Zelda asked. She had a smug look on her face. "All I'm doing is telling the truth. Wouldn't you want to know if you were doing well or not in class?"

"Yes I admit I would. But…instead of put-downs I may like some help and guidance. Then I wouldn't look ridiculous if such an "oh so talented" dancer such as yourself gave me some tips."

Zelda cocked an eyebrow. "Do you doubt my skills?" Zelda jumped off the wall and kept her eyes locked on the blonde.

Link shook his head. He innocently smiled at her. "No. I'm just saying my thoughts on the subject." He hopped off the wall also and stood only inches away from her. "Princess Zellie." He said softly.

Zelda felt her heart sink an inch. _That name again._ But she wasn't going to let it get to her again for a second time. "I told you not to call me that, Gaiden." She didn't know why she suddenly only wanted to call him by his last name. Though it was all he deserved from Zelda, in her opinion. "You're really dense, you know?"

"Says you." He shot back. "But why are you so offended by that name?" Link questioned her. " It's very harmless don't ya think?"

"No! I don't think!" Zelda frowned even more to the curious wonder of why he was laughing. She turned red, as she realized she had just amused the little annoying bug by putting down herself. "You know what I mean!" she shouted angrily.

"Oh come on, Zel." Link said through his chuckles. "It was just a little bit of humor. Laugh it up sometimes!"

Zelda didn't think her face could turn any redder. She felt like she was ticking time bomb, five seconds away from exploding. "What is it with you and these nicknames? Just call me by my name Zelda. Better yet, don't even call me that!" she snapped.

Link's goofy grin only grew wider in size. "Would you rather want me to call you Miss Sad Sack, Lady No Fun, or Little Miss Snobby? It's your choice." he joked.

_Where's a can of mace when you need it?_ Just as Zelda was about to respond, the headlights of a car shined in their direction. Zelda looked up to see it was her nursemaid Impa. "Finally!" she said out loud, not caring if Link heard. She rushed up to the car before Impa could even park.

Impa rolled down the window when Zelda was closer to the car, an apologetic smile on her face. "I apologize, Miss Zelda. There was a minor car accident down the road. Traffic slowed down tremendously."

Zelda shook her head. "You're here now and that's all that- " Zelda stopped talking as she felt her sports bag sliding off her shoulder. The strap suddenly ripped and made a loud thud as it hit the ground. Some of the contents in her bag rolled out of the bag and onto the concrete sidewalk.

Zelda let an agitated cry. "Oh, you can't be serious!" She picked up her bag, only to see more of the items in her bag to fall out. She saw a giant hole cut in the bottom of her bag. This made her even more furious. "Who did this to my bag?"

"Oh Miss Zelda, maybe it's finally given all the strength it has," Impa suggested. "It was a very old bag and…"

"Impossible!" Zelda snapped at her nursemaid. "This bag was old, but I took good care of it and it was just fine when I came here to class." She crossed her arms and starting wishing whoever did this would suffer a painful accident. She didn't notice, but Link came by and apparently Krystal had shown up as her bag had fallen.

Without a word, Krystal bent down on her knees and started to pick up some of Zelda's things. Her green eyes gazed up at her classmate. "Do you have a bag to put this in?"

"I **_did._**" Zelda said. "Didn't you see what happened?"

"Zelda! She's trying to assist you. Be polite." Impa scolded her without an address in front of her name. Even though she was under Zelda, Impa knew the right times to act as the dominate authority figure. She smiled at the violet vulpine. "I think I have a plastic bag in the back seat."

Link ran past Zelda without glancing at her and stopped in front of Impa's car window. "I'll take it." He grabbed it as soon as Impa pulled it out of the back seat. He walked back over to Krystal and handed her the back. Krystal nodded indicating "thanks" and then placed the fallen items in the bag.

Zelda didn't move from her spot. Were they actually helping her out? She couldn't understand why they were still helping her, after all the whiplash she would give them. They fastened up the bag and the Krystal picked it up and handed it to Zelda.

She shyly smiled at her. "I think that's everything that fell."

Zelda looked at the bag and then slowly took it. She clutched it closely to her chest, and kept her eyes on Krystal. Link handed her the ripped bag. "Sorry, we couldn't save the bag."

Impa stuck her head out of the car. "That was very nice of you two. What are your names?"

"Link Gaiden ma'am," Link greeted.

"Krystal Tamari," Krystal said politely. "We know Zelda already from school. She's a very talented dancer," she added.

"Yes she is." Impa glanced over at Zelda for a second. "Come along, Miss Zelda. We need to get back home. It was nice meeting you two."

Krystal smiled. "It was nice meeting you too." She waved at Zelda. "Bye Zelda. See you at the studio on Monday."

Zelda turned back to them when she sat down in the front seat of the black car. Link was waving to her also. Impa pulled out from the parking space and drove off and the school faded away. Zelda caught one last look of Krystal and Link walking away from the school. She guessed they were heading home.

"Such nice people," Impa said, cutting the silence. "You don't come across people like that in Joypadana. Do you, Miss Zelda?" she shifted her eyes to the passenger.

Zelda nodded slowly, indicating she was listening. But her thoughts were focused on other things she noticed. Impa was right about Krystal and Link being kinder than anyone in Joypadana. Zelda could think back to many times when the citizens were so rude and uncaring. She never let it bother her. But when this act of kindness was shown to her, she couldn't help but find it strange.

Krystal. Zelda hardly knew her, and yet she had covered for her twice now. First, with her ballet shoes and now with the bag. When she first met Krystal, she seemed so serene and kind to her, even though Zelda was trying to hint to her she didn't want to form any kind of friendship with her.

Then there was Gaiden. Link Gaiden. Nothing had changed Zelda's opinion of him. After two days of talking to him, he was still a goofball. But…Zelda didn't know what it was. When they drove away from Link and Krystal, she felt like something was taken away from her. She couldn't put her finger on it. Normally by now, Zelda would have given Link the boot by reporting him. But something…was stopping her. What was it?

**Samus' Apartment**

"Sam…Samus…Samus! You're spilling juice all over!"

Samus' eyes shot up to her mother who was now standing up from her chair. When Samus looked down at her cup, surely the juice was overflowing onto the counter and onto the floor. She saw the amused looks on her parents' and Falcon's faces, from her accident. She gasped in surprise, dropping the now empty carton on the floor. "Oh! I'm sorry!"

She quickly grabbed one of the dishrags from the kitchen drawers and immediately started to pick up the mess. The towel absorbed the liquid quickly, but it was extremely soaked. Some of the contents dripped back on the floor. Samus dropped the rag in frustration. She was really losing it. Ever since, she met with Marth after school.

Mrs. Aran looked at her daughter. "You've been shaky ever since you came home. Is everything all right, babe?" she asked.

"Everything's fine Mom." She stood up with the sticky cloth. "Just fine."

"Well…if you say so." Her mother was unconvinced, but she continued stringing her guitar while practicing her music. "Hmm…" she started singing to herself.

Samus eyed her mother through the corner of her eye. Why couldn't she live the perfect life like her mother did? He looked over at her father sitting next to her with a smile on his face, enjoying her singing. Besides all the constant fights, her mother and father had, everything went right for her. She never had to deal with problems like boyfriend troubles.

_Ex-Boyfriend, Samus! EX!_ She scolded herself._ He's an Ex and that's all he is. But what am I going to do? He obviously wants to get back to being friends with me for some reason I don't know. I thought he hated me. At least that's what the email said when he sent it to me. How does someone who hates you and ditches you, come back and want to start all over again?_

As she asked this question to herself, her brother finally closed his magazine and was looking over at her. He had been sitting in silence for over thirty minutes thinking about who knew what. "Hey, Sam?" he called. He sat straight up in his seat as Samus turned to him. "You remember when we were at the Mrs. Lowell's Photo Shop?"

Samus cringed and turned her head over to her father. Her father's eyes weren't looking at her, but she could tell he was listening. Samus glared at him angrily. "No! I don't remember that!"

"How could you forget so quickly? " Her naïve older brother replied. "I was coming to get you and that boy and that blonde girl was outside with us."

"Boy?" Mr. Aran and his wife were now looking at Samus. "What boy is this ?"

"You don't know him, Dad," Samus said quickly. "He was just some guy getting pictures from their shop."

"Yeah, but Marth was there too," Falcon blurted out. "Man, the dude aches on my nerves."

Samus' whole body froze up. She looked directly at her father and she felt like she was going to crack. Her dad had one of the angriest looks on his face, as soon as Marth's name was heard through his ears. He narrowed his eyes, looking over at his step-son. "Marth is back in town?"

"Yeah, he is," Falcon answered. He looked directly at Samus. She was trying to tell him with her eyes to not tell him what happened. But he didn't comprehend her expressions and continued the tale of earlier. "In fact, he was trying to make a move on Samus. Luckily, I got there before Samus fell into his arms like silly putty. I would've throttled him, but Samus stepped in to protect him."

She flipped around and faced her brother. "Falcon, shut-up!!" Samus found herself shouting angrily. "None of that happened!"

"Don't tell your brother to shut-up, Samus!" Her father yelled in a more demanding voice. Using her real name, Samus knew her dad meant business.

Samus looked at her mother still sitting down in her chair. She had placed her guitar on the table and was looking up at her husband with a blank face.

Falcon continued his statement. "Anyway there was something I wanted to ask you about that blonde girl. It was…"

"Falcon. Go to your room, please," Mrs. Aran said calmly. She knew her husband was getting ready to yell at Samus. She could see Falcon getting ready to protest. "Now!" she said stridently.

Falcon looked at his family one last time for retreating back to his room. As soon as he shut the door, Samus looked over at her father. She parted her trembling lips. "Dad… I can explain."

"I don't want to hear it Samus!" Her father snapped. He glared at her. "What did I tell you about that boy?"

"You…you told me to stay away from him…and I did," Samus added. "But if I didn't step in, Falcon could have hurt him!"

"It would have done the stupid boy some good!" Her father snapped.

"Dad, how can you say that?" Samus defended her ex. "No one deserves that. Besides, we haven't seen each other in a while and he was just being nice…"

"Nice?" He laughed as if it were a joke. "How can you be so stupid, Samus? He's trying to pull you back into the same trap he had you in before for four years!"

Mrs. Aran stood up and grabbed her husband's shoulder. "Darren…please…"

"Stay out of this Lydia! You know it's true!" Mr. Aran snapped. "And I thought Samus was smart enough to realize it too!"

"Dad! I told Marth to leave me alone! I warned him and he got the picture!" Samus was getting angry herself. "He's never going to see me again and I'll never talk to him. I haven't forgotten what happened between us! I won't fall for his tricks."

Mr. Aran frowned. "You can say that now, Samus! But let me tell you something. That Lowell boy will not stay away and he'll test you. He'll try to sweet talk you and use whatever lustful power he has to get you in his clutches again. And I know you're too weak to resist!" The harsh words were keeping Samus quiet, exactly what her dad had hoped for. "Which is why when I say this, I mean it! I want you to never talk to or even look at that boy again! Do you hear me?"

"Mmm…" Samus looked down at her feet. How could she agree to such a thing? More than anything, she just wanted one moment to speak with Marth. Her father rushed over to her and grabbed her arm and made her look at him. "This isn't up for negotiation! Give me your word!"

Samus couldn't find her voice. Whenever her dad was angry, she found it hard to speak in front of him. All she did was nod, but he held his grip tighter on her arm.

Luckily her mother came over and grabbed her husband's hand. "Alright, Darren. Leave her alone." She said with toughness in her voice. "She told you she wouldn't talk to him anymore."

Mr. Aran refused for a second. But he reluctantly let go of her and walked away from her. "Samus, you disappoint me when you do these things. I'm going to get some fresh air," He muttered. He opened the front door and slammed it shut.

As soon as he was gone, Samus felt her mother's arm go around her shoulder and she guided her to a couch. They sat down on the couch and Samus just snuggled up to her mother's warm embrace. They sat in silence, not daring to speak to each other until they felt they were ready.

This was something Samus would do with her mother, every time her father would yell at her. She would go into a moment of shock and she would just need her mother by her side. The scolding was rough, but Samus understood it well and she would take it to heart to keep her family together. And if it really meant never speaking to Marth again, she would follow this rule with no regret.

**The Hostel**

"Here's the tea, you guys," Mr. Jones, the owner said cheerfully.

"Thanks Jonesy." Peach called him by the nickname she made for him. She turned back to Roy. She was resting her head on his shoulder, trying to weaken her headache. "For four years?" Peach asked. "That's so long."

Roy and Peach were the only ones in the lounge besides the sleeping Young Link, on the couch. Roy nodded, as he propped his feet on the coffee table. Roy slumped down in his seat, letting Peach feel a bit more comfortable. He didn't mind Peach lying on him. According to his friend, he was like a soft pillow anyway. But more the reason why he didn't mind was because he knew about Peach's condition. These headaches were common with her.

When Peach was little she had gotten very ill, from a disease Roy had never heard of nor remembered the name. It looked like she wasn't going to make it. But she luckily pulled through and she was better. But the aftermath was she would constantly get headaches ever since she received the malady. Peach said the headaches were rough but nothing serious to worry about. But that didn't stop Roy from being concerned for her health.

He shook his flaming red hair. "Yeah. That was the longest relationship Marth had ever been in and the only one at that. Would've been longer, but I guess Samus' parents insisted that Marth wait until she was thirteen."

Peach smiled. "They look like they were a cute couple in the past. I can't believe such a duo like them would just break up. For whatever reason it was."

"Marth said it was because of some email Samus sent him. He didn't go into detail about," Roy added. "Yeah, they were a little pretend couple ever since they were kids. Always together. It made me jealous."

"Aww…" Peach giggled. "Did you like Samus too?"

"Oh no. Not like that. I was jealous that he would ditch me for her sometimes," Roy said quickly. "Don't get me wrong, she was a cool tomboy. Playing flag football and all that, but I wasn't really into dating girls yet."

"Well, you sound fun. I guess you were one of the boys who went around and said girls have cooties?" Peach asked, as she got up to look at him.

"Better believe it," Roy said proudly.

Peach lightly punched Roy. "You are such a cornball, Roy. It must have taken a while for you to date girls then."

"I haven't dated anyone since I was fourteen. I was bribed by my grandma in exchange for some video games. It was torture but the games were nice. But the girl broke up with me because she didn't like my jokes. That's what most girls say," he sighed.

"I like your immature attitude," Peach said trying to cheer him up. "That's how we became friends after all and why we still are to this day. You always make me laugh even if your jokes are random and retarded." She laughed.

"Yeah, mature boys are for squares," Roy joked.

Peach laughed. "That's what I mean. You're so random," She looked deep into his blue eyes.

Roy smiled at her. He looked at her face and grinned. "I like how your dimples pop up every time I tell you a joke. They always let me know you're listening to me."

Peach blinked. "I have dimples? Where?"

"Smile for me," Roy looked at her face as she smiled. "I see them." He held out his finger. He pointed at the two dimples. "They're right here…and here…" he answered. "Right above your lips."

Peach looked at Roy's face. "You have some too. Right at your cheeks and you look like you have at your…lips also." Peach said slowly. Strangely she and Roy remained silent as they stared at each other. Particularly, at each other lips, they were staring.

Both pairs of lips looking so inviting and they were accepting the invitation. As their faces started to grow hot, they would've have accepted the invitation. But a yawn brought them back to life.

"Roy? Peach?" a little boy said groggily.

They quickly jolted away from each other. They looked to see Young Link was awake, but wasn't aware of what had happened. He was still half asleep."Where's my brother?"

"Oh!" Roy's face was red. "Um…he's…"

As if on cue, Link appeared in the door with Krystal not far behind him. He casually walked over to his little brother unaware of what had happened. "Hey sleepyhead. Sorry I took so long. Had to go to the store after leaving the school." Link looked back at Peach and Roy. "Thanks for watching him."

Peach was now playing with her hair, to hide her embarrassment. "Um… sure. No problem."

Krystal looked over at the tray of tea. "Oh that's exactly what I need." She picked one up and looked back at her friends. "Is Fox here?"

"He's upstairs in his room," Peach said quickly.

Krystal smiled. "Good. I'll go take a cup up to him." She picked up another cup and walked down the hallway leading to the rooms.

Link was lifting his sleepy brother onto his back. "Come on, Squirt! Let's get you to bed." Young Link's only response was a sleepy mumble as they trotted in the same direction as Krystal.

Peach and Roy were alone again. There was an awkward silence between the two them for almost a minute.

"Yeah. You have dimples," Roy said shyly. He was still red in the face.

Peach nodded. Her rosy pink face was hiding behind her hair. "Mm-hmm."

Silence again.

Roy slowly grabbed the TV remote on the coffee table. "Wanna watch TV?"

Peach finally faced him. "Yeah, sure." She stared at the screen as it flickered on. She grabbed her head slightly, as she felt her headache rising.

Roy saw this, and positioned himself comfortably again. "Wanna use me as a fluffy pillow again?"

Peach thought for a moment, but then smiled. "Mm-hmm." She slowly and carefully placed her head on his shoulder and the two sat in silence, staring at the TV. The programs were on, but they were both thinking about the same thing.

_Did we almost kiss?_

**Zelda's Apartment**

Sometime later, at midnight, everyone was asleep in Zelda's apartment. Well Impa was, in excitement for her birthday the next day. But Zelda was wide-awake and sitting outside on the balcony of her apartment. She was sitting on the balcony with perfect balance and staring out at the night air.

She was dressed in her silk-night gown and her hair was now loose and flowing in the wind. As she sat there, she gripped tightly to the item in her hand, and another tear fell down her cheek and down the eleven floors to sleeping city below her.

**End Of Chapter**

* * *

**A/N:** _We stop here. Why do we stop here? There are things in this chapter, you must think about now. I call this a Foreshadowing chapter. There are many things in this chapter that will be some of the center problems in these next chapters to come! Oh I'm sorry Samus and Zelda didn't meet in this chapter like I said they would. But I promise you people are really going to get to know each other next chapter. So I hope you all like this chapter. I'm not too sure about it. But I'll wing it! Good or bad? Please let me know. Please review!_

_Love,_

**A worried Royal Kenya**


	7. Chapter Six

_Thanks for your reviews and on with the fic!_

**

* * *

****Chapter Six**

THUMP…THUMP…THUMP…THUMP

Faster and faster the thumps went as they ran across the hallway. But no one in the hostel stirred to find out what it was. They knew exactly who was running back and forth in the hallways.

The violet vulpine Krystal opened her green eyes. She looked at the door and saw a shadow appear from beneath and then disappear again. She kept her eyes on the door and didn't move an inch. The thumping rose in sound again and the shadow passed through the crack of the door again. Krystal knew it was Fox running back and forth down the hallways. It was a part of his morning workout before jogging. She glanced over at the dresser in her room. Sitting on top of it were two large mugs, one empty and one full to the top. The full mug was for Fox. When she had tried to take the tea to him last night, he told her the tea would just slow him down from his training.

Her ears twitched as she heard Fox now straining as hard as he could to keep running back and forth down the hallway. She could hear the sounds of his aggressive cries, to be the best he could be. Krystal just couldn't understand why Fox was always so eager to be the best at everything . It would worry Krystal to death, because he would always push his body to his absolute breaking points. Fox would end up being an exhausted crumpled heap on the floor and they would have to carry him back to his room.

The first time this had happened to Fox, Krystal thought for sure he would never attempt such breaking limits again. But Fox continued his tough and dangerous training. It made her feel angry towards Falco. Falco was always so tough and arrogant and Fox would always say he was going to find a way to make Falco realize he was under him. No, this wasn't a fair reason to hate Falco and truthfully she didn't hate Falco at all. Falco was a friend of hers, and fun to be around. She just didn't like Fox and Falco competing head to head all the time in fear something terrible will happen. But then Fox would say the same thing, he would tell her every time.

"Come on Krys. It's all in good fun!" he would say, with the childish grin on his face.

_Yeah. It's all just a game until someone gets hurt. He'll never understand what kind of grief he puts me in when he does this. But how could he know anyway? _Krystal huffed out a heap of air from her lungs. She knew he would never find out the truth that she liked him anyway. In fact when she thought about it, Krystal wondered if Fox liked her at all.

_It's like I'm a nobody around him, when it comes to his competing issues. I…I try to be lively and fun to be around when we're together, but he still treats me like an invisible wall. But he's not the only one who walks all over me. When I was at my high school, I was really pushed around. People never noticed me at all and when I moved here in the hostel, it continued. At first it was just me, Fox, and Roy in the hostel, and the two of them would talk all the time and leave me out. But then Peach came along and I started getting noticed by them. I guess because Peach noticed me and then she started to coach me on showing that I'm not invisible around others. So far, her training isn't proved successful._

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Krys? Are you awake?"

Krystal's eyes flew open. She couldn't believe Fox was now knocking at her door. She could see his shadow planted on her door. She hopped out of her bed and walked slowly over to the door. She held her breath as she opened the door and she met face to face with Fox. He was smiling his cute smile and through all the sweat, Krystal could still see the handsome Fox she knew. She felt her nerves pricking in her body. _He's looking right at me! This is one of those once in a lifetime days! Say something girl! SAY SOMETHING! _She commanded herself.

Krystal gulped. "Y-Yes?" her voice squeaked.

"Sorry, for disturbing your sleep," Fox said with a chuckle, making Krystal smile. "But I was wondering something."

"…Okay?" Krystal muttered softly. She gripped the hinges of her door. "What is it you need to ask me?"

"Well…I was actually wondering if you…" Krystal's heart started to beat rapidly against her chest. Fox scratched his head. "If I can borrow your walkman to run with?"

"Oh," Krystal answered sheepishly. "My walkman." Disappointment was clear all over her face. But Fox didn't seem to notice "…sure," she murmured. She almost retreated back to her bed, but she remembered that she didn't have it. "I forgot. Peach is borrowing it right now. I can ask her for it."

"Eh…don't worry about it, Krys. I'll just listen to the sounds of nature as I run. Thanks anyway." Fox stepped back from the door. "I gotta get a move on to be in shape for this big aerial test. It may be months away, but time flies fast." He broke into a run. "See ya later, Krys."

Krystal watched him jog down the hallway. She sighed heavily. This was the perfect time to tell him how she felt about the test and him. "Fox," she blurted out.

Fox caught her just as he turned the corner. He looked back, jogging in place. He was eager to get moving. "What is it?"

"I want…well," Krystal stammered. Why was it so hard to tell him her concerns for him? "I just wanted to know if you were sure about this whole pilot training thing."

Fox's face scrunched up. "…What do you mean?"

"Honestly Fox, I'm really worried about this. Carrying cargo from here to the war sight? That's really dangerous," Krystal spilled out. "I just think you should really forget about it."

"Krystal, this is something I really wanna do. I've been waiting for the moment I turned twenty-one and became eligible." Fox started to walk back to Krystal. Her comment really offended him. "Are you against it?"

"I'm not against it, Fox. I'm just really worried about you." Krystal replied. "I know Falco can handle the skies, but you've only been flying for a while. Give it some time." she found her voice was slowly rising in volume.

"So what are you saying?" Fox asked. "Are you saying that I'm not capable of doing this, but Falco is?"

"Falco's father is a trained pilot. He trained him as soon as he was able to walk." Krystal informed him. "Fox, you only had a few times in the sky. Your father died in an aerial duel with the enemies."

Fox felt that familiar pain pry at his heart. It always occurred whenever his father's was mentioned. He didn't need Krystal bringing back fallen memories. "Listen, Krystal! It may be true my father died in battle, but that's not gonna stop me. I'm going to be a pilot and no one and even you are gonna tell me otherwise!" He spun around and jogged away.

Krystal stared off at him as he left her alone in the hallway. _Why can't you understand?_

**Marth's Room**

Marth opened the door to his bedroom. The partying Friday night streets of Nintendo had finally quieted down, since it was about 4am in the morning. Marth's damp blue hair stuck to his neck, excess water rolling down his bare back. As he reached for the towel, he heard a familiar song buzz through his ear. It was the classical song "Bolero" ringing on his cell phone. He knew automatically it was Roy. He found that this classical song sort of fit Roy's personality; dazed and head in the clouds. He dived over to the phone before the song ended and answered it.

"Hey Roy," He said in a little pant.

"_Man! How long does it take to answer a phone? I've been calling and calling you for a long time now."_

"Normally, I don't get phone calls as early as 4am in the morning. So I thought I was going to be able to take my shower in peace. Anyway, what can I help you with?"

"_Nothing much. I just thought since you were such a babe magnet in your earlier years, maybe you could tell me the best way to tell Peach how I feel about her?"_

"Peach? You mean Peach Harkinian? The girl you were at the shop with earlier on yesterday correct? "

"_Yeah. How did you know Peach was a Harkinian?"_

"She was wearing the Harkinian ring on her finger indicating she was the one and only. Even if she did abandon her name, they aren't allowed to take the rings off their fingers. But that's great to hear about you and Peach. What made you finally decide to tell her?" Marth listened in astonishment to Roy's reason for this advice. "Wow, that does seem like a forming relationship."

"_I know I'm tellin' ya. I mean at first I thought Peach couldn't stand me and then I don't know we all of a sudden formed this crazy relationship and now we've gotten this far. I think she's finally starting to accept me. You don't know how hard it was to get Peach on my side. She was such an angry wench, that sometimes I didn't even want to try to speak to her. But I never gave up and I got her to actually be happier."  
_

"Hmm…" Marth muttered to indicate he was listening. But his mind had slightly drifted off to Samus.

"_But anyway, what I wanted to talk to you about was how am I going to tell her? Any ideas, Marthie Boy?"_

"Sorry, Roy. But I don't know what to tell you. I think I'm the one who needs the advice on love life. After all, Samus still hates me."

"_I don't think she hates you. It's more like she's…a little worried to speak with you. I mean like she wants to talk to you but her brain is telling her no and her heart is telling her yes. Have you talked to her since the photo shop?"_

"No." Marth ran a comb through his wet hair. "I can't reach her. I think she blocked me from calling her."

"_Hmm…sounds serious. Hey! Doesn't her mother have a concert tomorrow in the park?"_

"Yeah, at the Nintendo Park I believe. What's so important about that?"

**Samus' Room**

Eight times.

Marth had called her eight times and she let the phone ring seven out of the eight times. The eighth time, she pressed the ignore button on her phone and then blocked the number. He was very persistent but Samus refused to let him get to her. No matter how badly she wanted to talk to him, she wasn't going to pick up that phone. Picking it up, would ruin the relationship she had with her father. Sure it wasn't glamorous, but he was the one who took care of her for nineteen years. If she ever went back to Marth, she feared it would be the end of her mother and father's relationship. They would argue and possibly get a divorce. That was one of the last things she needed, just to be with some boy.

But then again, Marth wasn't just some boy. He was once the love of her life. This was the man who would always comfort her when her parents fought. The one who would stay on the phone, even when she was expressing her feelings only through sobs. The one who would come over late at night to make sure she was sleeping peacefully. He loved her and she loved him. And now...this was the guy she was trying with all her might to keep away.

She reached for her phone charger, but then stopped to glance at her phone. The screen showed her name at top and the image icon was a music system with notes bouncing on it.

4:57 AM

She stared at the phone a bit longer.

4:58 AM

_What are you doing? He isn't going to call again. You blocked his phone number. _Samus thought to herself. She stood up from her bed and glanced around the room. She needed some kind of reason to talk to him without letting her father or brother know. As she sat there thinking, the door to her room opened and her father stepped in. Samus kept her eyes on her father, not daring to look anywhere else. Looking at the smile on his face, Samus wondered what he could possibly happy about.

"Hey Sam," He said in a whisper. "I thought you were awake. Do you mind if I come in for a moment to talk to you?"

Samus crossed her legs, looking down at her sheets. "I think I want to be alone for a while if you don't mind."

"Oh come on, Sam. You can't turn down a talk with your old man. You love these little talks we have." Mr. Aran walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. "I'd sit here and you would sit in my lap…"

"I think I'm a little too old to be doing that, wouldn't you say?" Samus said with an arched eyebrow.

He sighed heavily. "Listen, Samus. If this is about what happened yesterday, you know it was for your own good. I'm just protecting you from being hurt again."

Samus glared angrily at her dad. "I told you before. I had it under control. But you yelled at me for no reason, not even caring about what I said."

"Honey," He was trying to stay as calm as he could. "I love you dearly. You're my only daughter. When Marth hurt you that day, you were so crushed. It looked like you would never be happy again and like it was all my fault."

Samus' anger eased. "Dad…" she started.

"No Samus, let me finish." He cut her off. "Back in my day, men were never as heartless as Marth was to you. When I first met him, he seemed like a well-turned out boy. I kept thinking the same thing for years, until you two were both in your teen years. I really had to think about letting him go out with you, but I thought he was a trustworthy boy."

Her father shook his head. "After that intense drama between you two I promised myself that I would never allow you to be hurt like that again. Do you understand now why I'm protecting you? It's out of love."

Samus didn't make a sudden reply. Her father could say a lot of things to get into her head. But the words her father would preach from his mouth sounded so convincing and true. She turned her attention to the door, wishing someone would interrupt this discussion. "I don't know."

Mr. Aran couldn't believe his daughter still wasn't warming up to him. "Why not?"

"I'm glad you came in here and explained to me why you acted rashly yesterday. But I'm not trying to develop a neglectful relationship with Marth." Samus hugged her knees close to her chest. "I want to still be..." she murmured the last bit.

"Hmm…" Her father cupped his ear. "I didn't catch the last bit, Sam."

"It's nothing." Samus shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

Her father didn't bother to respond. He looked down at his feet and pulled up a bag. He smiled as he pushed into Samus' face. "Here. I got you something while I was out last night."

Samus grabbed the bag and looked inside. She pulled out brand new orange tennis shoes. A bribery gift. She knew her father all too well. "Thanks," she said softly.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you, Angel. I do realize that I was out of line." He hadn't used that nickname since Samus was twelve. "I hope you can forgive me."

"I forgive you." Samus knew there was no point in saying no. Her father would never give up trying to speak with her and get her back on his side.

"Well, I feel like I can sleep now that I'm forgiven." He hugged his daughter and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Sam." He got up and walked out the door.

Samus sighed and flopped onto her back. Sometimes she wondered if she loved her father. If she would have felt like she could trust her father, she would have told him that she was planning to speak to Marth again. She placed her phone back in her hand and searched for Marth's name. She unblocked his name and sat there staring at her phone.

No ring.

**Zelda's Apartment**

"Happy Birthday, Impa!"

"Oh thank you." The nursemaid hugged Zelda. "I'm glad you didn't forget between all your dancing and schoolwork."

"Impa!" Zelda said in disbelief. "I would never forget something so important. I promise you." She sat down in the chair at the table. She was dressed in a black, sleeveless, turtleneck top and jeans.

"Miss Zelda, was everything alright last night? If my memory serves me, I believe I saw a light on in your room in the middle of the night."

Zelda cringed. "Oh that." She tapped her fingernails against the table. "I was just...um…reading a book on ballet. Couldn't sleep, probably something I ate at dinner."

"But you didn't eat dinner last night," Impa reminded her. "You went straight to your room after we returned."

"Um...upset stomach from not eating?" Zelda crossed her toes, hoping Impa would buy that. She stared at Zelda a few seconds longer before she turned around.

"If you say so, I believe you," Impa replied softly.

Zelda sighed in relief. "So…" She started, trying to change the subject. "What do you have planned today for your big birthday?"

"Um…" Impa stopped scrambling the eggs. "Actually, I was planning to have a little get together here in the apartment. I want you to be there too."

"Sure, I wouldn't miss it. Who are the special guests by the way?"

"Well there's you and me…and Peach," she said softly. She winced as she saw Zelda's quick reaction to the last name. She stared at Impa in shock at first, but then frowned at her. "Miss Zelda…" she started.

"You can't possibly invite Peach over here! Please tell me you're joking." Zelda didn't even wait for her response. She scooted her chair back and stood. "I can't believe this! Of all people, why her?"

"As you are dear to me, Miss Zelda, Peach is the same. I took care of her and she is a dear friend. I would like my close friends to be here for my birthday."

"Mm-hmm. I know what this really is, Impa." She raised a finger at her nursemaid. "This is part of some plot to get her and me to become close again."

"No! Miss Zelda its nothing like…"

"I know it is!" Zelda interrupted. "You put this all together. For all I know, it may not even be your birthday!" Zelda knew for a fact today was Impa's birthday, but she was too blinded by her anger to control what she was saying. "If you bring that airhead here, I'm not coming!"

Impa angrily frowned at Zelda. "Zelda! This is not some scheme! I'm trying to have a peaceful dinner with friends and hopefully catch up with you and Peach! It's been a long time since we last spoke to each other and I thought this day would be perfect! But if you don't want to come, be my guest. I won't have bad attitudes spoil my birthday!"

Impa had never yelled at Zelda like this before. She angrily ran toward the door. "Then I won't come! Enjoy your little tea party with that wretch of a sister!" she yelled back and she ran out the door. She slammed the door and ran to who knew where. She saw the elevator, but saw it was slowly starting to close.

"Wait! Hold the elevator!" she cried. Automatically to her surprise, the elevator opened. She jogged quickly into the elevator. Pressing her back against the elevator, she raised her head to her savior of holding the elevator. "Thank you."

"I don't care! You are such an idiot!" the person commented.

"Excuse me!?" Zelda exclaimed in shock. "I…" she cut short as she looked at the other occupant in the elevator. It was a girl who looked about her age, but possibly a bit older. The girl flipped around, but Zelda caught her luminous green eyes before she turned away from her. She was greeted by long blonde hair tied in a bun. The girl was strongly built in muscle and had an hourglass shaped body. She saw that the girl had a cell phone in her ear, so her earlier comment was intended for whoever she was on the phone with.

"Why would you say something like that when Dad was in the room? I'm about to hang up on you! Anything else?…I don't know that girl's number! Figure it out!" Without another word she hung up her cell phone. She turned back towards Zelda, and slightly blushed out of embarrassment. "Sorry about that. Older brothers. What can you do?"

"I don't know about older brothers. But I have an older sister and that's enough. Believe me." Zelda crossed her arms. She had forgotten how slow the elevator moved. "Always trying to be the boss of you and always arrogant."

"Sounds like my bro," She chuckled. "Why can't they be more like their younger siblings huh?"

Zelda nodded. "Mm-hmm." She felt the girl's eyes on her.

"I've never seen you on the eleventh floor. It's usually my family and an old married couple, who refuse to fit in with the generation. Are you new here?"

"You could say that, we just moved here." Zelda faced the girl. "About a month ago."

"Wow, I haven't noticed all this time. Sorry we haven't met." The woman held out hand. "I'm…" her phone rang again and she quickly picked it up. "Hello? I'll be there in a second."

The elevator opened and the girl walked out forgetting about Zelda. "I just left the elevator." Her voice faded as she left Zelda' sight.

_Well that was rude. That's the people of Nintendo for you. Can't even control their attention span._ She stepped out of the elevator and looked around. Even after a month of being here, Zelda still felt lost. The rumors were true about Nintendo being one of the hugest cities to exist. She only lived in a small sector of the city. Right now, Zelda couldn't think of anyone who could help her with this. She wasn't really on one accord with anyone in Nintendo just yet.

"OW!"

Zelda turned her eyes towards a little girl, sitting cross legged on the ground. She was bawling and holding her finger which appeared to be injured. In front of her was another girl, Zelda guessed to be her sister. The girl pushed her brunette colored hair behind her ear before she touched the girl's finger. "Come on Layla," The brunette said softly. "You have to let me see it. Or else I can't help you get better."

Layla sniffed and held out her finger. "Okay," she said quietly. She shut her eyes as her sister looked at her finger. "Can you get it out Emma? Is it gonna sting?" she whimpered.

Her sister Emma didn't say a word. She suddenly started humming a little lullaby, that sounded like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Layla started singing with her and while she was humming her sister slowly worked with the splinter. As the song came to a close, Emma had pulled out the splinter. She smiled as she held the splinter up to her sister. "It's out."

Layla smiled and hugged her sister, "Thank you, Emmy!"

"No problem sis. Let's go put some ice on it and then maybe get some ice cream." She gave Layla a piggy-back ride in the direction of the quad.

Zelda shifted her eyes to the ground as they passed by. _I remember days like that with me and Peach. The time when I cut my finger with a knife, she simply sang me a nursery rhyme while she treated the wound. I would only let Peach take care of my injuries, because she was the only one who would be sincere about them. Always making sure…I was comfortable. She changed from being a little saint, to a little devil._ She suddenly didn't feel like going to her aerobics class. But, she didn't want to go somewhere without some kind of guide. She hated when her emotions got the best of her. _Maybe I should go back? This will be one of your only chances to see your sister._ Zelda bit her tongue. Why would she want to go see her? Without another thought, she wandered out of the apartment building with no idea to where she was going.

**Gamegeara Memorial Hospital**

"Stop right here, dear. This spot is perfect."

"Okay, Miss Rose." Peach stopped wheelchair under a shady tree. "It's nice and cool under here." She straightened the quilt resting on the elder's lap. Cozy?"

"As always. Sweetie, you do such a good job here. It would be a shame if you ever had to leave."

Peach smiled at Rose. On the weekends Peach worked at the Gamegeara Memorial Hospital. Her job was to tend with the elderly and the children, but mainly the elderly. She favored working with Rose. Rose had brown eyes and long, gray hair in a braid and her signature blue and green ribbon tied at the end. Her own kids never would come to visit her, and eventually she forgot who they were and thought Peach was her one and only daughter. This didn't faze Peach, and she wasn't going to complain about it, so Rose wouldn't become depressed. Besides all that, Peach thought of Rose as very wise, caring, and a good person to talk to about anything. As for kids, Peach wasn't too good at making children laugh. Maybe a chuckle here and there, but that was about it.

"Roy! Can you tell us a story please? The one with the vampires!"

Peach's eyes wandered over to the crowd of children surrounding Roy. Now Roy was the master of making children laugh. It was always nice to see someone brighten up the kids' faces. Even though they were going through cancer, diabetes, or any other disease, Roy didn't treat anyone differently. He made all the children feel special.

Roy chuckled. "Well, actually I was thinking we could try something new today. Instead of reading the story, we could act it out." He reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of vampire teeth.

"I want to be the vampire!" one boy said

"No me!" said another.

"Pick me, Roy!" said a girl.

"Relax, we can all be vampires! I brought a pair of fangs for everybody!" Roy handed the fangs out to the cheering kids.

"That boy," Rose laughed in a wheezy tone. "He always knows how to cheer up those kids. They used to dread to come to the hospital, but they love it when Roy comes on the weekends. Even some of the children who are well come back to see him."

Peach nodded. "Yeah, he's some inspiration to the children and even me."

Rose looked up at Peach. "He's going to make some girl really happy one day."

"Mm-hmm." Peach looked at Roy who was now kneeling down and talking to the kids. As she looked at his face, tidbits of yesterday came back into her head. She still couldn't believe it was true, but it seemed like she was going to kiss Roy. _How awkward that would've been. I mean, Roy's a decent guy and he's adorable at times. But to kiss him, would be like kissing a brother. _

"Oh come on!" Roy said in dismay, at the children. "Those imitations weren't very good. Show me a real vampire!" Roy held his hands up like claws. "BLEH!"

"BLEH!" The children echoed.

Roy then crossed his eyes, while sticking out his tongue. "BLEH! BLEH! BLEH!"

The kids laughed, but echoed him again. Roy also laughed and surprisingly turned to Peach. "Hey, Peach you want to get in on this? I know there's a little vampire inside of ya!"

Peach didn't expect him to draw attention to her. She immediately shook her head, getting a tight grip on Rose's wheelchair. "No, I don't think so."

Roy smirked and turned to the kids. "She must be a regular ole human. But you know vampires... they're attracted to blonde hair." He turned back to Peach mischievously grinning.

"Roy, don't you dare." Peach took a step back.

"Well, you know the drill kids, on how to change someone into a vampire." Roy readied himself to go after Peach. "Don't worry. I got this one!" Without another word, he lunged himself into a run after Peach.

Rose laughed, obviously amused. "You might want to run, Peach!"

Peach didn't have to be told this twice. As soon as she realized Roy wasn't going to stop, she bolted into a run. She was a lot faster than Roy, but he seemed to be getting faster or she was slowing down. Either way, she continued to run, earning some laughter from the children. She smiled. Might as well play along.

Peach screamed in false fright. "Aah! A vampire! Stay away!" she said in a tiny scared voice.

Roy hissed at Peach. He was pretty good at mocking a vampire. "I want to suck your blawd!" He chanted in his best Dracula voice.

Peach laughed and continued to run. "Oh someone help me!" Peach took a glance at Rose. She was clapping her hands in amusement, and just grinning. This was one thing, Peach loved about being at this job. Making others happy.

* * *

"Hey Peach! Good acting out there. The crowd loves ya Peachie baby!" Roy joked in a big movie producer's voice. He clapped for her. "Bravo!"

Peach gasped, playing along. "For me? You mean moi?" She bowed with a big grin on her face. "Thank-you, thank-you! You're all beautiful!" She placed her arm on Roy's shoulder, as she started laughing. The two were standing outside the hospital for no apparent reason. They just didn't choose to leave yet. "I didn't know whether to be a scared victim or turn into Buffy The Vampire slayer."

"Oh I would have stayed far away, if you went Buffy on me. That is one fierce competitor I would not want to mess with." Roy placed his hand on top of hers. "But seriously, thanks for helping out. I knew you had a knack for entertaining kids. You shouldn't doubt yourself so much."

"Yeah, just call me the Doubt Queen." Peach suddenly jumped a bit. She sighed in relief when she realized it was just her phone. She hated keeping her phone in her pocket, because it felt like something was attacking her. She picked it up. "Hello?"

Roy removed his hand, as Peach turned from him to pay attention to her phone call. As she turned her back from him, Roy started to recall moments from yesterday. He and Peach were only one inch away from a kiss. But how unfortunate, that Young Link had opened his mouth at that time. That's the world for ya. But even though they didn't reach that kiss, it gave Roy a brand new confidence. Ever since Peach came to Nintendo, he had tried his best to impress her. He knew right away she had Harkinian blood in her and he felt the only way to be known in her eyes was to impress her and place his jokes aside. He wasn't very good at showing at it and he received some suspicions from Krystal and Fox. Peach seemed to catch on to his personality quickly, and confronted him about it.

"You know. You are really annoying." Those were the first words he said to her. He gave up all hope after that put down. But as he returned to his normal self, it seemed Peach was able to tolerate him more. Then after their incident with the pancakes, she began to elaborate in conversations with him and soon they became friends.

"Um…I guess." Peach commented interrupting Roy's thoughts. She was still talking on the phone. A smile slipped onto her face. "Really? That was pretty quick! But thank you! I'll come in on Monday then. That's the studio near the Nintendo Fine Arts College right? Yes, it will be no problem. Okay. Thanks again…Bye!" She squealed as she bounced around.

Roy eyed Peach. "Seems like something exciting just happened."

"It just did! The man from the modeling studio loved my photos. I'm going to be one of his new walking mannequins. A.K.A., I'm gonna be one of his models!!" Peach grinned.

Roy grinned. "That's really great. I told you someone would except you soon." He looked deep into her sky blue eyes. "You're just amazing, Peach."

"Thanks." Peach looked up and froze. _Wow. I never noticed, but Roy has gorgeous eyes and his smile is so…AAGH! I'm doing it again! Stop it! Break free from him! RIGHT NOW! _Peach blushed and turned her gaze to the floor. She couldn't think of anything to say.

"Hey. Let's celebrate!" Roy exclaimed. "It's not everyday you get a job as a full-fledged model. We could got out to dinner or something, but it would have to be something cheap."

_Dinner? Hmm…him and me? He wouldn't be trying to get me on a date would he? No! Of course not, just to celebrate your job._

"But let's go some place, without the lame restaurant birthday songs," Roy added.

"Birthday? Oh that's right!" Peach looked sincerely at Roy. "I'm sorry, Roy. But I just remembered Impa; the nursemaid I told you about. It's her birthday and she wanted me to join her for dinner at her place."

"Zelda is going to be there I assume?"

"Correct. But I'll try to stay strong, for the good of my health. I refuse to go back to anger management, without a good reason!"

"That's the spirit! You be the unmovable rock! Be stubborn, but don't let her push you to the edge. If all else fails, you can handcuff your hands to the nearest doorknob." Roy added as a side-joke.

Peach chuckled. "If I do happen to cut loose, I hope Zelda has already wrote her will."

* * *

_**A/N:** Thanks for reading! Please Review!_

**_Royal Kenya_**


	8. Chapter Seven

_Here's Chapter Seven! Thanks for your reviews!_

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**Nintendo Park**

Young Link tapped his foot impatiently. "Come on big bro! We're going to be really late!" He continued to skip down the pavement in each of the patterned and cemented squares. Pikachu playfully scampered around Young Link.

"I'm coming." Link stopped admiring nature, and followed his brother down the pavement. He looked at his watch. 1:15 PM. Only fifteen more minutes until the concert. Clusters of people passed him as they got closer to the concert hall. When they reached the front entrance, they saw a familiar brown furred fox and blue bird.

Falco Lombardi spotted Link and he immediately frowned. "Come on Link! We haven't got all day! The seats are filling up pretty quick."

"We'll be lucky to find a seat on the grass. Dude, what took you so long? It's a short walk from the hostel to the park," Fox pointed out agitatedly.

"Sorry. I was on my way, but I was intrigued by the beauty of nature. You guys ought to stop and smell the roses sometimes. I guarantee that you're missing out if you don't."

Fox and Falco only groaned. "Whatever, nature boy." Fox teased. "Pick up some pansies and let's get going!"

Young Link grabbed his older brother's hand and escorted him to the ticket booth. There was a girl with black hair collecting the tickets. Link handed his ticket to the ticket collector, and let his brother once again tug him along. He really wasn't sure what he was doing here at this concert. This was one of Lydia Aran's outdoor concerts she had every month, according to what Peach and Roy had told him. Link was never a real big fan of concerts, but he couldn't find anything to do and he had to entertain his little bro, so he reluctantly agreed to attend.

His friends walked over to a bench where a familiar violet vulpine was waiting. She had scarf clutched close around her neck and she was elaborately talking with another girl. She had green hair and blue eyes. Though very short for someone her age, she was a looker. Link casually walked over to Krystal and she turned around and smiled. "What took you guys so long? If it wasn't for Saria, I might have lost your seats."

Saria smiled up at Link. "Hi! I don't believe we've met. My name is Saria Kokiri."

Link politely returned to smile. "Saria huh? That's a unique and beautiful name for you," he added, making Saria blush. "I'm Link Gaiden. Thanks for saving our seats."

"No problem." Saria scooted over, insisting Link sit next to her.

Krystal noticed this and smirked. Saria was always the boy-crazy girl. She wasn't surprised by her newfound interest in Link. Sooner or later Saria was going to get Link to fall into her hands. And from the looks of it, Krystal could say she was on a roll as Link sat down next to her green haired friend. She was going to say something, but she heard Falco and Fox talking behind her about the aerial tests. She sighed and decided to listen to them speak for a while. She still hadn't talked to Fox since earlier on that morning and he the same. If she couldn't convince him now, how was she going to stop him?

"So you moved here some time ago then?" Saria said aloud. She caught a few glances from passing people, but she paid no heed. She was way too busy looking at Link. Of all the boys she had seen, Link topped them all. Saria had a list of the different types of boys there were in the world. Some were average, wimpy, geeky, etc. and then there was the "perfect" guy. After her many years she had finally found Mr. Perfect. Blonde glazed hair and clear blue eyes as bright as the eye can see. Then of course, the glistening white teeth. It was just like looking at hunks like Fabio.

Saria sighed dreamily. "Strange, I've never seen you before. But then again, Nintendo is a very large city. You need like some kind of detector to keep up with the news of the city."

Link chuckled. "I don't think I would want a big welcoming party on my behalf. You can probably imagine how embarrassing that would be."

She smirked at Link. _What a cute chuckle he has. A sense of humor is always good. When I get home, he will definitely be listed in my top ten cute guys. Move over, Tony! Let's see…I think he would be at least in the top five! Number two, I think. _Saria decided to keep the conversation going. "This concert is going to be a good one don't you think?"

"From what I hear, it's going to be great. With Lydia Aran here and all, I'm sure there will be a big crowd," Link sighed heavily. He looked around the quad area, hoping some kind of action would occur.

Saria didn't pay heed to Link's absentmindedness, but to her own fantasies. Romantic fantasies involving Link. She folded her hands in her lap and crossed her legs; a way of making a wish. "This is just great! Going to a concert and then meeting you."

Link readied himself for a response, but something caught his eye. A familiar and elegant face, shown clearly to him at the top of the bleachers they were sitting in. He smiled and waved to the person immediately. "Hey Zellie!" he called.

Zelda Harkinian twitched at that name and looked down at the caller. She immediately frowned. Saria on the other hand, ended her daydream to see whom he was calling. Her face changed smugly, when she saw her rival Zelda up on a higher seat. _What is she doing here?_

Link stood up and Young Link gazed up at him. "Where are you going?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm going up there to chat with Zelda."

Young Link frowned angrily. "Why would you sit up there with that girl? She's very mean and she's never nice to you. Sit here with me!"

"Come on Young Link, this is my only chance to talk to her. You know she's never out and about. Hang out with Fox. Roy will be here soon." Without another word, he turned to face Zelda.

"I already told you Gaiden, do not call me that! It's Zelda to you!" Zelda called.

"Oh come on!" Link brushed past Saria. He mumbled "excuse me" as he moved past her and climbed up the seats toward Zelda's seat. "You know you like it!"

Saria stared at him with absolute dismay. "I…" _THEY KNOW EACH OTHER!? He doesn't like her does he?_ She heard Krystal sigh next to her. She looked to see Krystal was looking up at them too.

Krystal laughed. "I just don't understand it. Link is always bugging Zelda, even though she gives him the boot all the time. When will he give up?"

"Wait. They've known each other for a while now?" Saria questioned the violet fox.

"Yeah, you could say that. Usually their conversations are bittersweet. Link keeps giving, but Zelda won't take. She just doesn't seem to like Link at all, ever since their first encounter." The two girls looked up to see Link now speaking to her, but Zelda had refused to look at him. "It's pretty sad too. I think Link really is trying to get her to like him."

"He likes her? He can't! He must know that Zelda is a very critical and pessimistic witch." Saria revealed. "All of your friends think that, right?"

Krystal nodded. "But not Link. He's more of a accepting guy. I just hope he doesn't get his heart broken."

Saria tilted her nose up defiantly. "Hmph, don't worry about that. I'm not going to let Zelda hurt his feelings, because I'm going to get him to go out with me."

Krystal's eyes grew in size. "You always surprise me. You've just met the guy and you're already going to try to make him yours?"

Saria propped her flipped hair up more. "That's the idea. I mean at first, I was just going to make her quit dance. But now there is so much more that I'm gonna have to do to stop her. Ruining her sports bag was only small stuff."

Krystal didn't react to anything she said, until her last words. "You're the one who ruined her sports bag? Saria! That was one of her favorite sports bags."

"And now it isn't. Krys, I thought about letting her off the hook. But she's nothing but a little stuck-up prit. We don't need that kind of person in our class. She'll slow us down."

Krystal crossed her arms. "I guess. But there must be some good reason for her behavior."

"Well, she better come up with a good reason soon. Right now, I'm not on easy street with her. She's a real pain." _Not to mention, she is still a Harkinian. Can't trust any of them. After all, they're the reason my family is where they are right now. I will never forgive them._

Zelda looked down below to where Link was sitting earlier. She automatically recognized the green-haired young adult. _Saria is here too? Not only do I only have to deal with one, but two pests. I should have just kept walking past the park. _Earlier on, Zelda's pondering had guided her far away from her apartment. She didn't know the way back, but she didn't think about it until she came to a stop at the park. Her first thought was to call Impa, but she then remembered that she was not seeing eye-to-eye with her at the moment. The next idea was a taxi, but as she reached for her phone, she heard the commotion from the park. Apparently, the people were excited about the concert of the singer Lydia Aran. Zelda had heard of her before, but she had never listened to her music. Curious and with nothing else to do, she decided to attend the show.

"I didn't expect to see you at a concert. So you have a passionate side for singers too?" Link questioned her.

"I'll keep that answer to myself, thank you very much." She faced Link, with questionable eyes.

"Okay, mystery girl. I was just trying to lighten up your mood with a little question."

"How can you tell if I'm happy or not? I was happy, and then I blinked and saw you staring up at me. A definite mood killer you are," she taunted. She looked back at the stage. "So, Lydia Aran is the big singer everyone gripes about here in Nintendo?"

"She's one of the top performers. Known well around the whole city and probably beyond that." Link sighed heavily. "But anyway, how is the Princess of Joypadana handling life in Nintendo?"

"I'm handling it quite fine. Besides trying to figure 'what is what' and 'where is everything?' I'm pretty content with my progress so far. Though I can't really say I can interact with the people in Nintendo. People are really nosy." She slowly lowered her eyes. "Want to guess who I'm thinking of?"

Link decided not to respond. "Listen Zelda. You and me, we're newbies to this city. I thought maybe you and I could find something we had in common."

Zelda scoffed. "Something in common? You must be joking! I don't think there is trait in the world we have in common. We're just too different. I'm more sophisticated than you…and you're more insane than I am. I think clashes like that could never find any similarities."

"Hmm…do you really believe that? I think if we actually spent a day together, we would find at least one thing we have in common. Don't ya think?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "What are you suggesting?"

"Hey Link!"

Link's mouth curved into a smile, seeing Roy climbing up the bench to where he was. There was also another companion behind him with blue hair and blue eyes. The guy eyed Link, giving him a courteous smile.

Roy panted. "Whew! I'm tired." He took a seat down next to Link while Marth stood up on a bleacher below them. Roy spotted Zelda, and smirked. "Zelda Harkinian. So we meet again."

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "Can't say that I know your name." She rolled her eyes and stared off to her left. "Nor can I say I really care to know," she muttered.

Roy caught Marth's reaction to Zelda's response. He was thinking the same thing Roy was. _What an ice queen. _"Yeah," Roy continued. "So, Link. I'm sure you haven't met this guy yet. This is my best friend Marth Lowell. Marth, this is Link Gaiden. Local philosopher ."

"Link Gaiden is just fine." He stood up and shook Marth's hand. "Nice to meet you, Marth. I guess you have deal with Roy all the time huh?"

Marth smirked. " Every day of the week and every hour in the day. Heh, I know how to keep him in line. A few little arm twists usually do the trick." The two shared a laugh and Roy only rolled his eyes. He then walked over to the open seat next to Roy, but not before flashing a small smile to Zelda who was now looking at him. Surprisingly, all she did was nod.

**

* * *

**_Well…this is convenient. _Mrs. Aran thought to herself seeing Marth up in the stands from behind the curtains. _Didn't expect to see him here._

"Are you ready, Mom?" Samus walked up to her mother, peeking through the curtains. "You're not scared are you?"

"Me? Never. But I think I need a bit more time. Do you think you can entertain the audience with a little opening act?" Her mother asked sweetly.

"Yeah? You really want me to?" Samus scratched her head. "I really don't have any clothes to suit the event. Nor do I have anything prepared."

"Oh come on, you can probably pull out a song in the back of that noggin of yours. And just go see Dezla in the back. You know she will hook you up with a makeover in less than fifteen minutes."

"Well…what the heck?" Samus shrugged and headed towards the dressing room. She had no idea what she was being set up for. "I haven't really warmed up my vocals today."

* * *

"They're taking a pretty long time, don't ya think?" Marth had glanced at his watch for the fifth time. "Should have started some time ago. I wonder if Samus is going to perform."

Link looked across from his seat to Marth. "You have a thing for Samus Aran?"

Marth caught Link's eyes, slightly turning red. "Heh…you could say that. We went out in the past."

"What happened?" Link asked.

Roy was about to answer, but Marth held his hand up, silencing him. "Let's just say fame can get in the way of a relationship."

All of a sudden, the cheering started up and the curtains rose. Standing in the center of the stage, was Samus all glammed up. She was now wearing a black and gray striped tube top with belt clamped around the abdomen. There were matching sleeves, rising from her wrists to her elbows. She had on jeans and black slouched high heel boots. Her hair was in a wavy ponytail, sprinkled in glitter.

Marth just stared in shock. His old friend Samus, had really turned into a beautiful woman.

"Hey everybody!" Samus said enthusiastically with a plastered smile on her face. "Ready to get this concert started?" She laughed as she heard the crowd cheer. "I thought so!"

The music started up to a very upbeat song and Samus closed her eyes in attempt to get the beat and tempo into her system. Samus really lacked the time to compose some new music of her own. As she opened her eyes, she opened her mouth to sing and…

She froze.

Marth was dead in her sight. The music continued to play but Samus didn't sing a note. Her only thoughts were why was Marth present. She heard some murmurs and then remembered exactly where she was. _WAKE-UP! YOU GOT A SHOW TO DO! _Samus' conscience screamed. Samus shook her head. "Right," She said inaudibly. She then found the words and started the song.

_No one ever said that love was gonna be easy  
__Gotta take the ups and downs the in-betweens  
If you take this journey, gotta give yourself completely  
__Never let nobody ever step on our dreams_

_Listen to these words that I say  
__Don't ya throw this good thing away  
Put your trust in me  
__And I'll make you see_

_No the rain won't last forever  
__Find a way to make it better  
Long as we can stand together  
__Love will find a way_

_Gonna make a new tomorrow  
__Say good-bye to tears and sorrow  
Better listen when I say  
__Love will find a way_

Zelda watched Samus sing, but she was mainly watching her dance moves. "The girl from the elevator. Who would've thought she had a few dance steps in her. "

Marth heard her comment and nodded. "She's great. Just simply…beautiful." Link and Roy looked at each other and snickered at the mesmerized Marth.

Samus tried to keep her eyes off Marth, but she found it difficult. _Don't let it get to you. Sing Now! Questions later._

_I want you, I need you  
__You know that I believe you  
__We got it, you know it  
__So if it's real just show it _

Samus smiled seeing the audience getting into the song. They were on their feet dancing or clapping to the music. Some were actually singing along.

_Listen to these words that I say  
__Don't ya throw this good thing away  
Put your trust in me  
__And I'll make you see_

_No the rain won't last forever  
__Find a way to make it better  
Long as we can stand together  
__Love will find a way_

Samus ended the song with a spin and pose. She smiled pearly white smile. Braces really did save her life. The crowd whooped and hollered and stomped their feet for the nineteen-year-old. She glanced over where Marth was. She saw her acquaintances Link and Roy, whom she had met before, cheering her name. There was a blonde girl who looked vaguely familiar, sitting down but clapping her hands respectfully. Then there was Marth with his stunning smile, on his feet and clapping with all his might. For some reason, seeing him clap for her made her smile even wider.

She turned around and hurried off the stage, running into her mother. She was dressed and ready to go. "You did wonderful out there!"

"Thanks, Mom. I really wowed up the crowd for you. You'll be great!" Samus took the water bottle from her mother. "It felt great to be out there."

"Doesn't it always? I bet you even saw some familiar faces out there huh?" Her mother answered with a grin.

"What do you…" Samus was interrupted by the erupting music gradually rising in sound. Her mother helplessly shrugged at her daughter.

"I can't here you, babe!" She yelled as loud as she could. She waved her hand as she hurried out the curtains. "Talk later!"

"Hmm…" Samus crossed her arms. _What did she mean exactly by familiar faces? She couldn't be talking about Marth could she? Did she set me up? _She shook her head and laughed. "She thinks she's _so _sly," she said to herself.

Marth sighed heavily as Samus' mother came on the stage and the cheering became even louder. _How could I let our relationship end like this?_

* * *

"Here you go." Samus handed the little red haired girl's teddy-bear back to her.

"I'm never going to lose this!" The girl squealed. "It's going to be valuable one day!" She skipped back to her parents, who were waiting off by the stage.

Samus laughed to herself and continued to sign autographs. She had gotten a lot of publicity from this one concert. Getting to the top would soon become a snap. She looked up to take the next paper and saw some familiar faces.

She smiled. "I know you." She said to the blonde haired male. "You're Link, right?"

Link grinned. "Yeah, that's me. Glad to see someone as famous as yourself remembers someone like me." He turned back to his comrades. "See guys. I told ya I knew her."

"Hey! I know her too!" Roy had popped up from behind Link and there were afew more people who seemed to be their friends, right behind them. "She doesn't even recognize me though."

"You're Marth's best friend he would always talk to me about," Samus answered. "I had to think about it, but then your untamed hair reminded me. It's good to see you," She earned a smile from Roy.

"Excuse me."

Samus watched the blonde girl walk up to her. She now remembered where she had seen her before. "Hey. The girl from the elevator, right? We were talking about our siblings."

"Yes, but I naturally go by the name Zelda Harkinian," Zelda replied. "But you rudely forgot to introduce yourself."

"Oh!" Samus blushed. "Yeah, I remember that. I was in such a hurry and I didn't get a chance to meet you. I'm…"

"Samus Aran." The dancer cut her off. "At least that's what I gathered from the concert anyway."

"That's right," She looked past her, searching for someone. Didn't Marth come with them? She sighed and turned to her guests. "So how did you guys like the concert?"

"Hi! I'm Saria!" She shoved Zelda out of the way. "I really loved it! Your Mom sings so beautifully and you were great too. I was singing along with you!"

"Oh!" Zelda exclaimed. "So that's what was sounding so raspy. My ears were burning with pain."

Saria turned around to face Zelda. "Harkinian, keep you and your ugly face out of my conversations!" Falco and Fox were making "cat" sounds behind the girls' backs and Krystal looked disapprovingly at Saria.

Samus stared at them in shock. _Looks like there's some tension in here. _"Well, I'm glad you liked it," Samus said, trying to stop the approaching fight. "We're planning to have another at the Shasta Dance Club in a month or two. This time, it'll be my concert."

"Sounds fun!" Link said, catching on to Samus' idea. "That's near us. We live in the Shasta Towers hostel like a block or two away from there. We should go you guys, it should be lots of fun."

Roy nodded. _Yeah, that should be fun. I could ask Peach and yeah… that would be great! Peach dancing with me? Too, too perfect! _"Sounds like a plan. I think we should find some dates to go with."

"Dates? Eww!" Young Link made a face. "Girls have cooties!"

"Ha, ha!" Samus laughed. "I used to think the same thing about boys. But you'll see it's a different story when you get older!"

Saria's eyes lit up. "Having a date, sounds like a good idea." She turned to face Link. " Do you have anyone in mind, Link?"

"Not really." Link turned to face Zelda. "Hey Zelda! You think you want to come with us?"

Zelda's eyes widened. She saw Saria's jaw drop, but she was still trying to comprehend what he just asked her. Go dancing? With him? She never was asked to do things like this. Not that she wanted to anyway. "No way. Why would I want to go as your date and go dancing?"

"One, it was just a question. Two, I was just asking about you coming with us. Not to come and be my date." He looked at her with assuming eyebrows. "Are you trying to say something?"

Zelda's mistake and his comment made her blush. "No! Get real! You know what I meant and so did everyone else."

_Does she have a crush on my big bro? She can't! _Young Link thought angrily to himself. "Let's go big brother! We can play some video games."

Roy turned away from talking with Samus. "Hey!" He said talking to Zelda. "Aren't you supposed to be home? It's Impa's birthday right? Peach said you two were going to meet to celebrate."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I am going to go back to see her. I just don't know the fastest way to get there."

Samus stood up from her seat. "You know, I can walk you back to the apartment if you want. We live in the same place after all."

Zelda hesitated, but felt like Samus was the only person she could talk to level to level. "Alright. Only because you look trustworthy."

Link raised a hand. "I could walk you there too…"

"No!" Saria and Young Link shouted at the same time. They looked at each other and then at everyone else staring at them. Saria pointed at Young Link uncomfortably. "Shouldn't you take your little brother home? Looks like he wants to spend time with you."

"Um…I guess. Maybe next time." Link watched his brother tug at his jacket sleeve. "You want to go get some lunch?"

"Yes! Let's go right now!" Young Link answered dragging his brother by the sleeve. "I'll buy! Let's just go big bro!"

Zelda and Samus watched as the large group walked off. "I find them quite enjoyable. What do you think?" Samus asked, trying to break the ice.

"It depends on who you're talking about? Excuse me, my throat is quite dry." Zelda took off towards the vending machines. Samus sighed. Talking about going to the next concert with dates made her feel a bit jealous. She could remember when getting a date was never a problem for her.

"Samus."

Standing right in front of her was a black haired boy. He had green eyes and was wearing a black sweatshirt and blue jeans. He smiled as he casually walked over to Samus. "Hey, Pretty Sammie. That was a pretty tight show you put on out there. Couldn't take my eyes off you."

Samus smiled weakly. "Thanks, Jean. What's up?"

"Nothing. Just seeing if you're still up for our date this evening." Jean Thomas knew Samus remembered and he mentally applauded himself, when she answered yes. "So…pick you up around 7pm them?"

"Sure." She had actually forgotten about the date, after seeing Marth earlier. "I'll be ready around that time."

"Great. It's a date then. I could only come by for a second. My friends are waiting. Oh… and try to wear that oufit again tonight. It suits your sexy body perfectly." He eyed her body for about the fifth time (Samus had counted this for this whole "under a minute" conversation) "Later."

"Later," Samus groaned as she watched him walk off. Why did she agree to such things?

"So…is that your boyfriend?" A familiar voice called.

Samus' eyes widened. She recognized that voice anywhere. How long had he been standing there? Sure enough, Marth Lowell was standing behind her with a disappointed look on his face. Happy as she was to see him, she wasn't going to let it show on her face. "What's it matter to you anyway? You don't really get a say in who I get to date."

Marth shook his head. "No, but I'm hoping that I'm still your friend. I'm just inspecting what makes you tick these days." He looked at Jean walking away. "Apparently it's bad boys."

"Marth," Samus said angrily. "Would you please stop trying to patrol me? This is seriously none of your business."

"Sam. I don't want to start anything. I just came from talking with your mother and now I'm taking my leave. You just happened to be here," Marth commented. "But I was hoping to tell you, that I enjoyed your singing." He smiled easily. "It was a great concert."

"That's all? Nothing else? What about those calls?"

Marth crossed his arms. "You can't even say thank you. As for the calls, there was something I wanted to ask. I was wondering if you weren't busy, maybe you would like to go take a walk or something?" He watched Samus look at him suspiciously. "No strings attached."

"Marth… I think you and I both know the answer to that." She turned her back to him. "It's over between us. Everything."

Marth's heart sunk ten feet. "I see. Sorry to bother you." He walked over to Samus, but simply walked past her. "The offer still stand, if you choose to take it," he said in a whisper as he walked off and Samus looked back at him. She was surprised the conversation was so blah and short. She wanted to say something else, but he was already gone.

**The Streets**

"Hmm…this is pointless!" Peach slammed her directions against her leg. "I was never good with directions! Impa should have drawn a picture!"

The wind blew against her blue jean skirt, making her have to hold it down with her hands. She had been searching for Zelda's apartment for some time now and she had retreated back to Shasta Towers, realizing it was pointless. Peach had forgotten where Zelda's home was, even after going there twice. Roy was the one who showed her where it was first, and Impa the second time. She leaned against Mr. Jones' spare car and sighed. "This is just beautiful."

As she was sitting there, another car pulled up slowly right behind her car. She put her paper aside and kept her eye on the car. There was definitely someone staring at her from inside the car. _If this is some stalker, he better watch out! _Peach got into her fighting stance. _I did take up some hand-to-hand combat!_

The car door opened and to her surprise, Peach recognized the guy. At least she hoped she did. She dropped her defense. "Hey! Aren't you Samus' brother?"

The man smiled. "Yeah that's me. I'm known as Douglas Jay Falcon. But you can call me Falcon for short." He walked over to Peach.

Peach laughed at his name. "I can see why." She then placed her hands behind her back. "But what business do you want? I'm trying to find something."

"Sorry, I saw you looking lost. So, I thought to myself, why leave such a beautiful Blondie as yourself in distress?"

Peach rolled her eyes. _Flirting....great... really lifts my spirits._ "Sorry, Romeo. But I'm not in distress. Though, you can help me figure out where the Larson Apartments are if you know."

"Actually I do and I would be glad to take you there if you like," Falcon answered with his casual smile.

"That's sweet, but no thank you. I don't know you well enough to hop in the car and ride with you," Peach answered. She walked back to the side of her car, deciding to give up on going to Impa's party.

"Oh come on. What's there to know?" He skidded to a stop in front of Peach as she turned away from him. "You're a model, I'm a racer. You're cute, I'm handsome."

"How did you know I was a model?" Peach asked. "You're becoming shadier by the minute."

"There's something else, we know about each other. You're defensive and I'm open." Falcon rested his hands behind his back. "Give me a chance. You trust my sister, but not me? I'm not a bad guy. I'm as much of an angel as she is! It will be a silent ride, and I'll even turn the radio up so you can't hear me. What do you say?"

"Well…" _If I go with him, I won't have to pay the fee for borrowing Jones' car. Besides, even if he gave me easier directions I would probably still get lost. What to do? _Peach decided to give in. "Fine."

* * *

**A/N:** _So ends chapter Seven and Previously chapter six. I warn you again I have two new chapters! I hope you guys like it and review please. Constructive criticism and everything else is fine by me. But don't be surprise if I give you a response. Thanks again._


	9. Chapter Eight

_Hello again. Thanks for all your reviews! Before you start reading I got a few recognitions to make to some people. First for the people who read my one shot **"Yours Truly, Lady Valentine"** I give thanks to **Babygurl278**, **crystalicios**, **ptpeach**, **Babykoalprincess**, **Sage of Downtown Hyrule**, **noisemaze**, and **SnowCrystal**. Thanks so much for your reviews. Now last week was a twofer special, with two chappies, thanks for those reviews but I give more props to** Babygurl278**, **crystalicios**, and **ptpeach** for reviewing twice. I didn't ask you guys to do it, though I wanted you guys to and I appreciate. You can now so gurantee whenever you do two chapters at once i will definitely review twice for you three._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter Eight  
**

Peach rammed her elbow into the car door. Ignoring the pain, she gave the speedy Falcon a glare before looking back at the window. He innocently shrugged and continued driving at 70 mph. She sighed and tapped her hand to the loud music in her ear. _What was I thinking? Getting in a car with a nutty driver! I think he must have sped through three red lights already. I even think we may have hit a dog._

"Comfy?" He asked with a grin.

"Just peachy," Peach answered softly. "How much further? I'm not guessing much longer by the way you're speeding through those lights."

"Funny, Peach," Falcon remarked. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way I drive. It gets me here and there quickly."

"It's no wonder Samus walks home," Peach muttered. There was another dreary silence, besides the pop music playing on the radio. Peach inspected the inside of the car. Everything was organized and in place. The whole car seemed to have a shine to it. "By the looks of your car. You must treat cars like your little babies."

"How else can they be treated? When you love something, you gotta take care of it. As for me, I love my car and I'm gonna keep it sharp!" Falcon proudly replied.

Peach nodded. "I guess. But yeah, you still didn't answer my question. How did you know that I was a model? This isn't something I blabbed to the world in a megaphone."

"Right. The modeling thing." He ran a hand through his hair. He had finally come to a stop on a red light. "Look, after the little confrontation with my sis and her little ex-boyfriend. You were there." Peach nodded remembering that moment. He continued. "I asked Sam if she knew anything about you. Well, she knew your name was Peach and you were on your fourth year of college. Then I looked at the portfolio you were carrying in your hand that day. Only models carry those."

"Hmm…" Peach was unconvinced. "Are you sure that's the whole truth?"

"Honest to good truth." Falcon took off for a few more seconds and then came to a stop in front of the Larson apartment building. "Here's the place, Blondie."

"You can stop with the Blondie business! It's not cute." Peach placed her hand on the car door but stopped, when she heard the engine sputter off. She looked back at Falcon as he pulled out his keys. "What are you doing?"

"Me? Going inside," He said as he opened the car door and stepped outside. "I guess you don't know this, but I live here with Sam and the folks. Every now and then anyway."

"Oh…" Peach blushed out of embarrassment. She should have known that. She climbed out of the car. "Sorry about that. Just a little jumpy."

Falcon walked over to her side of the car. "Really now? What is there to be so jumpy about?" He stood very close to Peach. "You can trust me. I'm an alright guy!"

"L-let's just go inside okay?" Peach turned away from him and walked at a fast pace to the apartments. She never felt her face grow so hot before. It was like the time she and Roy almost kissed only she was burning a bit more intensely. She could hear his footsteps right behind hers as she picked up the pace a bit more as she entered the building.

Falcon smirked._ Hmm…she's a little shy. I could change that. I wasn't called the Master of All Charmers for nothing. _He sped up quickly, right next to Peach. "Anyone ever tell you that you walk pretty fast for a gal in 2 inch heels?"

"No," Peach answered quickly. "And for the record, these are 1 ½ inch heels." She stopped as he opened the door for her. She muttered "thank-you" under her breath and walked inside the building. People were busily wandering around the apartment wrapped in their own little conversations. One person, absentmindedly bumped into her, but was polite enough to say sorry after doing so. She reached the elevator door and noticed Falcon was still behind her.

"Let me get that for you." he said politely, pressing the up button on the elevator wall. The door opened, as soon as he made contact with the button. He stood to the side letting Peach inside and he shortly afterward. "So…what floor are you heading up to?"

"Eleven please." Peach answered softly. She watched as he pressed only eleven and then leaned back against the wall. " You live on the 11th floor too?" She sighed as he nodded in response. _How much more weirder can this get? _The elevator was moving rather slowly for her. She turned to the racer, who was just glancing at himself in the mirror walls of the elevator. "So…" Peach started, drawing his attention away from his self. "You've lived in these apartments for how long?"

"I lived with my mom somewhere else when I was an infant, but I moved here when my mom got remarried. Then that's about the time Samus came around. You can pretty much call her my half sister," Falcon explained. "But by the way we pal around, it would seem like we're truly brother and sister." He gazed at Peach through the reflection of the mirror. "What about you, Miss Harkinian? You get along with your sister, Zelda?"

_Now how did he figure that out? This is the first time I've talked to him and it's like he can write a whole bibliography about me. _Peach thought about his question. There was a time in the past where Zelda was like her best friend. She would always share her secrets with her younger sister. Always take the rap for Zelda if she got in trouble because she knew Zelda would do the same for her. So long ago…did these times occur. Peach folded her arms over her chest. "No. I never got along with my sister. We're total opposites and enemies."

The elevator finally reached the top floor of the building. Peach stepped out first glancing around for her destination. She guessed the room would be towards the end of the hallway. She turned her eyes towards Falcon who was looking down at her. "Unlike most families, we have disputes so tough we can't even be in the same room together for too long. I'm sure you wouldn't understand since you and your sister are so tight," Peach commented.

"Well…that is some tough love. I don't think I could stand being at a distance from Sam like that. She's my only lil sis, and I would never want anything bad to happen to her," Falcon replied. "Anyway, do you know where the room is?"

"I think I can find it from here." She nodded in a respectful manner. "Thank you for bringing me this far. That was very ...well, polite of you. Especially since we don't know each other that well."

"Aw…is that all? You know I really would like to get to know you, Miss Peach. We should really spend…"

"Whoa!" Peach held up her right hand. "Slow down, cowboy. Let's take this one little baby step at a time. You gave me a ride, and I'm giving you your props." She flicked her hand through her blonde hair as she turned from him. "Don't push it." With that, she stalked off to find the room.

"I understand. I know how to respect a gal's privacy. But if you need anything, don't hesitate to call on good ole Falckie!" he called. Peach didn't turn at his response, being too busy blushing and concentrating on which door was to Zelda's room. She had been there before, but she couldn't quite remember what room it was in. But soon the numbers appeared right before her eyes. Room 2745. This was it.

Peach sighed. "Give me strength," She whispered softly to herself as she raised her fist to knock. The door suddenly opened and Peach came face to face with a man appearing to be in his 30's. He had a baseball cap on his head and dressed in some kind of uniform in a jumpsuit style. He had dark gray eyes and his little black ponytail was hidden under his hat. His skin was so pale, that Peach thought he was some kind of dead Zombie.

"Oh…excuse me." Peach said softly as she stood aside to let the man go by. He walked past her and gave her a kind of smug look. He grumbled something and continued on his merry way. Peach gulped back her nerves. "How awkward was that?"

Impa, hearing a voice, poked her head out the apartment. "Peach? Peach, you made it!" she said in her delightful voice. "Excuse him. He was just checking our power plugs."

"Of course!" Peach smiled, putting that creepy moment behind her. "This is one day I refuse to miss, even if they're some downsides to coming here. But I think I can get over them."

"You can get over them quicker than you think. Zelda left early this morning angry and she hasn't returned. I'm not expecting her to come back either. She could at least call, so I know where she is." Impa shrugged. "I guess I shouldn't worry too much. Well, everything is set up inside."

"Oh…please tell me you made your famous snickerdoodle cookies." Peach licked her lips. "If there was one thing I missed about home, it's definitely your sweets."

Impa laughed. "Of course Peach. Let's not stand out here and gawk anymore. This is a gathering." She led Peach into her home, feeling happier to see an old friend.

**Sometime Later**

Samus glanced back at the dancer, practicing stretches on the pole resting on the walls of the Larson apartment. As usual in the afternoon, the elevators were packed with people coming in and out. She watched as Zelda, bent her knees back and forth, keeping a perfect angle. Her eyes were closed and she was counting in her head to keep her focus. She hadn't asked her yet, but Samus could conclude that Zelda was interested in dance. She recognized her dance stretches from previous ones Samus had done. Samus had taken dance lessons for a while from her mother. According to her, as a singer it was important Samus knew how to sing, dance, and play an instrument.

"Egret stance right?" Samus said all of a sudden. Seeing Zelda bend into a perfect made "L" with her leg stretching out flawlessly, made her guess the stretch. "Works great for your quads."

Zelda looked over at Samus, maintaining her balance. She had a perplexed and astonished look on her face. "That's right." She raised her left leg elegantly, keeping her perfect posture. "Not many people are familiar with the names of stretches. You probably you don't know this but this stance was created by the famous…."

"Madame Lana Louffet. One of the best dancers in all of Nintendo." Samus smiled. "I love her style of dancing. I went to one of her recitals and I was just so amazed. "

Zelda placed her hands on her hips. "You've gone to one of her recitals? I haven't missed a single one. Do you recall which one it is?"

"Hmm…I think it was something paying respect to John Keats I believe. I think they were based on his poetry. Like "Ode to a Nightingale" and "When I have Fears". They were really cool."

"Oh really? I went to that one." Zelda recalled that program. "It was absolutely beautiful."

"Mm-hmm. There was one I remember clearly and never shall forget. The one about the Knight and the beautiful and irresistible temptress. La Belle Dame Sans Merci." Samus stated.

"The woman without pity, that one was very unforgettable." Zelda groaned as she watched the people still continuing to cram into the elevator. "You want to just take the stairs? I usually do, to keep my muscles pumping, before I go to dance practice or aerobics class."

"No problem at all. I didn't get to go to the gym today, so this will be a pretty good workout." The two girls jogged up the stairs to the eleventh floor, talking elaborately about music and dance. Surprisingly, Zelda was finding this time with Samus quite enjoyable. It was interesting to meet someone who had the same commitment to their major like she did. They were alike in so many ways.

"Spending time dancing everyday, I don't really concentrate on having a boyfriend. They're dead weight in achieving your goals," Zelda said proudly. The girls' conversation had led to discussing their own lives. Namely their love life. "I've had a boyfriend before. He was pretty supportive of me and my dancing before but then I dropped him after awhile. He couldn't stand all the time I was putting into it. So I broke up with him."

"I see. I'd never want a boyfriend like that. I've had one in the past," Samus commented.

"Oh. It must be Marth Lowell then. At the concert he mentioned how you two used to go out two years ago. The way he talked about you…."

"He talked about me?" Samus felt a lump in her throat. "What…what did he say about me? Was it rude?"

"No. He talks of you, like you're a saint. Well, you may be, but I don't know. He spoke only good things of you when he was talking with Gaiden and his friends." Zelda glanced at Samus. "What's the deal behind that? Did you break up with him because he wasn't supportive?"

"Oh…" Samus lowered her head. "It's something I really don't feel comfortable talking about. He's just well…a distant memory these days. He's always been supportive of my music career. He would never miss a concert. Marth Lowell, you could've almost called him the perfect boyfriend. But then he screwed up his life with me in one day."

"Hmm…" Zelda stopped walking when Samus stopped. Apparently they were in front of her home and Zelda's was a few more rooms down. "Honestly Samus. You're probably better off without him."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely. Sooner or later, I believe Marth would've jeopardized your singing career. Just by your singing, I'll predict you'll be well-known in no time. Then you won't have time to be thinking about a boyfriend." Zelda leaned against the wall, folding her arms across her chest. "I mean you don't see many famous celebrities with husbands/wives and boyfriends/girlfriends do you? When you do, you know what happens to their fame? It slowly and silently disappears as they get so wrapped up into their relationships. The celebrity starts thinking about settling down having ten kids or adopting kids from Africa or something."

Samus bit her lip. "I…well…never really thought about it like that." She felt a shiver crawl up her spine. "Do you think if I even became friends with Marth, I could ruin everything?"

Zelda closed her eyes. "Hmm… If your "friend" Marth is seeking to get you back to being his girlfriend and you fall for it," she opened her eyes again, with a serious look planted on her face. "...you can kiss your singing career good-bye."

There was a stiff silence from the singer. She felt so torn between two choices. What was more important? She withdrew from answering her own question as she saw Zelda yawn. She gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I'm boring you and you're missing your party."

"On the contrary," Zelda gave her a casual approval smile. "I actually enjoyed this little chat and jog with you Samus. We should do it again sometime. You go to my school correct?"

"Yeah. We could walk together if you want." Samus said with a grin. "We don't have to ride with my crazy driving foolish brother."

Zelda shook her head. "I'm not someone who walks these streets often. My nursemaid gives me rides, but I can see if she can take us both."

"Sounds like a plan," Samus sighed. "Well, I have to get ready for a date tonight."

"A date? Remember what I said. One relationship could ruin one career alone. See you around." Zelda walked down the hall, waving good-bye as she headed to her own room.

Samus waved after her and opened the door to her apartment. There was chatter going on in the kitchen. She looked to see her brother, Falcon and Ganondorf at the counter playing poker as usual. When Ganondorf saw Samus step inside, he instantly stood to his feet. "Is there anything you need Samus?"

"Not at the moment thanks."

"Good. I wasn't going to get you anything anyway." He snickered, earning a laugh from her brother.

She simply ignored the boys as she jogged back to her room. She loved being in her room because it was her own little sanctuary from the confusing outside world. Her own little tranquil Safe Haven. Her room's theme was the sky. Samus loved to stare at nature, but namely clouds. Her walls were a cloud like wallpaper, making it seem like she levitating in the sky. There were dream catchers and sun catchers hanging from her sliding glass door to the outside balcony. On the walls she had beautiful calligraphy written words written on her wall like:

"Dream"

"Soar"

"Reach for the Stars"

"Every Cloud has a Silver Lining"

"Dream so high, you reach the sky"

_Mother. You wrote those silly little notes all over my room. They've helped me so much. But…I don't think even those encouraging words could help me now._ Samus flopped down on her nice cool sheets. Zelda's words kept playing in her head. Could this really happen to her? She chuckled to herself. _Marth comes back and suddenly I have a million more problems than I can handle. What am I gonna do?_

**Zelda's Apartment**

Zelda knocked on her door. She had stormed out so angrily, she had forgotten to grab her house key. She felt her lungs tighten as she heard footsteps approach the door. _I wonder if Impa is still mad at me? I did storm out on her birthday. I wouldn't forgive myself. Not to mention Peach will be in there. But this my home and I have to go in. If all else fails, I'll just go to my room. I…I don't have to get along with her._

Impa appeared in the door. She looked amazed, but relieved to see her. "Miss Zelda? I'm happy to see you. I was getting worried. You never called me."

Zelda nodded, feeling ashamed. "Sorry about that, and…sorry about-"

"Oh, there is no need to worry, Miss Zelda. Think of it as a thing of the past. I'm honestly just happy you returned in time." She stood aside to let her in. "As you know. Peach is here."

Zelda peered inside and saw her sister sitting down at the round table, where breakfast was normally eaten. Peach was eating some cookies, but when she saw Zelda walk into the door she placed the cookie down and looked up at her. She looked as if she was going to say something witty, but she took a deep breath and instead said calmly. "Hello, Zelda."

The dancer wasn't expecting such a quick and calm greeting. She was ready for something witty to say back. But instead she gulped back her planned "rude" response. "Hello," She said in a hoarse voice. She cleared her throat.

Impa smiled as she placed an arm around Zelda. "Come, come. Don't be a stranger to this house. After all, you live here too right?" she reminded Zelda with a laugh. "We're all family."

Zelda kept her eyes on Peach waiting for her to say anything. Just anything rude. But she just sat there, now eating her cookies again. Impa sat down in the seat right next to the one Zelda immediately sat in. It became steadily quiet.

Impa smiled. "I'm glad I could eat dinner with both of my girls. It's been so long since we've had gatherings like this. Almost three years I believe." She turned to Peach. "Right about the time you departed right?"

"Mm-hmm," Peach nodded softly. She was feeling very uneasy with Zelda here, but she would die before being the first to crack. "It's been so long."

Zelda nodded in agreement and decided to distract herself with a cookie to eat. She reached out for the last cookie on the plate, to meet Peach's hand. She looked up and met eye to eye with her sister. Zelda thought to herself. _Any second now she'll snatch it up and say "You don't need a cookie if you're trying to watch that tooth pick figure of yours" Any second now._ But Zelda was wrong.

Peach backed her hand off the cookie. "…you can have it. You haven't had one and besides I need to watch my figure if I'm going to stay in the modeling business. Go ahead and enjoy!" She almost cracked a smile, but covered it.

_What is going on here? She's acting how she used to when we used to get along. When we were little kids, she was so generous to me all the time. _Zelda didn't refuse the cookie, but took it from the plate. "Um…thanks?" she stated as more of a question.

Impa smiled at the two girls. It seemed like Peach and Zelda were getting along just to celebrate Impa's birthday. But even if it would only last for one day, it would be enough to keep her content for a while. _And who knows?_ She thought to herself. _They may become friends again._

"I'm sure they don't want a fat model." Peach joked. She was getting along so far. She was astonished, by Zelda's lack of insults. "Those cookies were awesome as always, Impa."

"Oh Peach. I'm glad to hear that," Impa responded. "But I think the best time I make them is when I'm making them for someone else."

"I couldn't even make them for myself," Zelda said. "My cookies came out like big fat pancakes."

"Oh! That was when you two were ten and twelve years old. You guys were trying to make some snickerdoodle cookies and I believe it was for my birthday. You guys tried so hard to make them." Impa laughed, turning to Zelda. "You remember what happened?"

"Yes!" Zelda smiled. "We made several batches that day. I think there was one batch where we got the ingredients totally wrong."

Peach smiled also. "I remember them. They were the ones where we accidentally put too much milk in them. So we decided to double everything even the baking soda or was it yeast? The cookies ended up turning into large pies!"

Zelda giggled. "You mean large exploding pies! Remember, Peach? We poked at them until one of them burst open like a bomb!"

Peach grinned at her sister. "Mom and Dad weren't too happy about that. But Impa loved it. It was really fun wasn't it Zellie?" Peach cut her talk short. She hadn't used that nickname in a long time.

Zelda caught this too and her smile faded. The room became quiet again. _That was so creepy. We actually had a conversation, that didn't blow up into an argument. We were actually smiling and laughing. Too weird._

In her own head Peach was thinking the same thing. She couldn't even remember the last time she and Zelda ever talked to each other so happily. They were laughing together, like they used to when they were younger.

Impa glanced at the two girls who were now feeling uncomfortable. _I think these two are finally moving in the right direction._

**Samus' Apartment**

Samus scratched her head as she struggled with what was set before her. She glanced at the paper of algebraic problems in front of her. It had been so long since the last time she had seen them. Polynomial functions. There were way too many steps to remember to do such death defying problems in Samus' opinion. She tried the problem again. Unsure of herself, Samus glanced at the at her P/Q selections to use in correctly in synthetic division. She placed down a "1" first."

"It won't work," Mewtwo responded. It was now towards the evening and Ganondorf had to end his shift early meaning Mewtwo had to come a bit earlier to be Samus' bodyguard. He had been standing right over Samus watching her trying to figure out the functions. Samus erased one and put in a "-1" and Mewtwo groaned.

Samus tugged at her blonde locks. Every time she did something wrong, Mewtwo would make some kind of noise to indicate she was wrong and it was ticking her off. She hated being around a guardian with an IQ way above average. The door opened behind her, but she didn't bother to check to see who it was. She placed in a two, and surprisingly Mewtwo didn't say anything this time. She sighed and worked out the function. It worked out to "0" but she need to try another number. She placed in a "-2"

"Mmm…" Mewtwo grunted.

Samus growled. "You know what, Mewtwo! Since you know so much why don't you do the freakin problem" she snapped.

"I already did. The answers are 2, 3, -6i, and 6i," Mewtwo replied.

Before Samus could stand and strangle Mewtwo for his boastful comment, her mother walked over to table where she was sitting. "Babe, weren't you supposed to go out on a date tonight with Jean tonight?"

"…" Samus grabbed her head in aggravation. "Please don't mention that perverted cheat's name in here again. I hate him!"

Mewtwo looked at Mrs. Aran. "Apparently, Jean was two timing Samus. I saw this on my way here and reported it to Miss Samus. She chose not to believe me until she met him at the door and saw lipstick smeared on his leather jacket. She chewed him out, and he tried to explain himself, but Samus didn't let him leave without giving him a piece of her mind."

"Oh. So that explains the water in the walkway to our front door." Lydia walked over to her daughter, circling her arms around her daughter's shoulders. "I'm sorry things didn't work out, Sammie. But I never trusted him either. I'm glad you taught the little punk a lesson." Just as she placed a kiss on her forehead, her father walked into the apartment.

"Hey everybody!" He called. He scratched his head, when he saw Samus at the table. "Sam. Aren't you supposed to be going out with Jean tonight?" His response was an icy glare from Samus. "Was it something I said?"

"Honey, please try not to mention the "J" word around Sammie tonight. He wronged our daughter in a terrible way," Mrs. Aran explained.

"Oh!" Mr. Aran nodded. "But I will catch that "J" word and give him a piece of my mind for mistreating my baby girl. His dad works for me and I'll fire him in a heartbeat ."

"You don't have to be that extreme, Dad," Samus replied. "It wasn't his fault his son was a jerk. Unless he's some sick womanizer too."

The door to Falcon's room opened and he came outside dressed in some gym shorts and a white undershirt. "Hey Ma, I wanna go out for a bit. Have you seen my jeans?"

Samus grabbed her textbook and placed to her face. "AAGH!" she screamed into the book. She started screaming other things, getting stares from her brother. Her mother turned to Falcon. "Douglas, try not to say his name around her please."

"What? I said "jeans" not "Jean". What's wrong with tha… OW!" Falcon howled in pain as Samus' thrown textbook, hit him hard in the cheek and dropped onto his foot. He glared angrily at Samus. "What the heck, Sam!"

"Do you really want to mess with me?" Samus said. She was really angry and she couldn't take control of herself. Her mother grabbed her shoulders and made her sit down and turned to her son again. "They should be in the dryer."

"Alright. I'm getting out of here, before she starts hurling daggers at me." Falcon walked back to his room, but not before covertly giving the one-finger salute to Samus for only her to see. She returned the same gesture, secretly back. Lydia glanced at her husband and Mewtwo and her husband for a second. "Could you please give us a moment?"

As Mewtwo and Mr. Aran cleared out the room, she turned to her daughter. "So…the math problems aren't really what's frustrating you?"

Samus sighed. "I just got a lot on my mind. But mainly Jean. Why are men like that? They tell you how much they love you and then…just betray you. It's always me that seems to find the unfaithful guys."

"It's a cruel world when it comes to boys. Some are good some are bad. Some are full of trust, some are full of lies. It's hard to tell, but after a while you find the perfect guy and everything just runs smoothly from then on." Lydia sat down in barstool next to Samus. "And to be honest, it's difficult to find that solid guy. Even I haven't been that successful. Your father is anything but honest to me. I've gathered that just by watching him. He isn't cheating on me or anything, but he's never one to admit when he needs help. He tries to make all his decisions on his own about everything but mainly you and your life."

Samus rolled her eyes. "Mom, I told you I was fine with this. Singing is something I really want to do."

"Nothing else?" Lydia Aran asked with a raised eyebrow. Her daughter nodded and she sighed in defeat. "I really don't believe you but I'll take that answer for now I guess. But that's not what I want to talk to you about. Are you going to stay here doing homework all Saturday evening?"

"I'm hoping to. I have nothing better to do. No plans with friends or anything. Not that I was asked by anyone to do anything," Samus lied.

"Mm-hmm. Is that the case?" Her mother stood up and crossed her arms defiantly. "You know, after the concert, Marth came to talk to me." She watched Samus' eyes widen at that name. "We talked for a while, and I remember him asking me question before he left. He asked me if he could ask my daughter out for a little walk and I said yes."

"You did huh? So I guess you knew he wasn't going to back out on asking me then?" Samus said softly, feeling guilty.

"Samus, why did you tell him no? Would it hurt to go out with him for a walk? You're being so difficult."

"Look, Mom. Would you go out with someone you broke up with? He made it known in the email he sent me, that he was through with me. He cheated on me. I tried to talk to him about it and then he told me all about how he is enjoying his other girlfriend and…all that other crap he said to me."

"But the thing is, you two were perfect for each other. I think Marth realized this and now he's just trying to speak to you again. I think he at least wants to become friends with you ."

Samus stood up and thought about her ex. "I want to be his friend, but I'm scared. What if he hurts me again? I can't take that pain anymore. You don't know how hard it is to live here now that Marth is back. I keep thinking about our past life together."

"It's a sign, babe." Mrs. Aran placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "In your mind you want to let go, but your emotions still want to hang on to what you had. You two need to talk about this dispute you had and iron out all the wrinkles in your relationship."

"I know. But I'm still worried. This girl I met today told me thatif you fall into a relationship on your way to stardom, you're dropping your dreams. I'm not saying we will get back together, but if we become too close, I could destroy my music career."

"Sounds like a load of trash to me. This girl must've had someone close to her leave her. Thinking back on that incident, she must've came to the conclusion close knit relationships are the downfall to your dreams. That can never happen, unless you allow it to Sammie." Her mother glanced at her own watch. "Speaking of evening plans, I need to get ready to go out with your father. Wants to go eat dinner and go dancing."

Samus nodded. "Okay. Have fun," she said with a smile.

"I'll try, if your father doesn't turn dancing into a competitive sport. I'm not planning on bringing anything back from the store. You can use the spare car to buy a burger or something." Lydia walked in the direction of her bedroom. "And Sammie." She turned with her green eyes piercing into her daughter's own. "Think about it." With that, she shut the door quietly behind her. Samus could hear her mother's voice behind the door, speaking to her dad.

"Man…" Samus bit her lip. She walked over to the couch, where her open textbook lied on its back. Picking it up, she noticed her cellphone on the table right next to her. The phone was staring at her and seemed to be saying. _"Call him! Call him!"_

"He may not even be home. He might want to spend time with friends, instead of being with me." Samus found herself, saying to the phone.

"_You don't know for sure until you pick up that phone and call him. He may be waiting for you to call." _The phone commented.

"No, I can't. I'm not going to call him. Why would he want to see me? This has to be some kind of trick."

"_No. I'm sure he wants to speak to you! He misses you so much, and is miserable. He wouldn't have called you eight times if he didn't. It's love and concern!"_

Samus frowned. "What do you know? You're just a stupid phone!" Samus grabbed her silver phone flipping it on its face.

"Is everything alright in there Sam?" Her father called from his bedroom. "Who's in there with you."

Samus blushed. "Uh…no one!" _Look at me. I just had a conversation with my phone. But in some way, the phone was right. I mean…me…no wait…oh…I don't know . Marth could be waiting for me to call._ She picked up the phone slowly. _Maybe I should wait for him to call? No…you saw what waiting did for you last time. Absolutely nothing. What to do? What to do? To call or not to call…this is such a difficult question._

**Zelda's Apartment**

"So your modeling job finally came through for you. That's splendid, Peach!" Impa remarked. "I knew you would get it some day."

Zelda watched as Peach blushed. The dancer knew about Peach's desires to be a model as much as Peach knew about her love for dancing. These were dreams they had ever since they were little girls. Even if their goals were a little out of the ordinary, she remembered how they would push each other to never give up.

"Yeah, he says I look as cute as a bunny, but as fierce as a pouncing cheetah. He says he loves to have cute zesty cheetahs to be apart of his walking mannequins. Not too fond of the comparison, but I'm just happy to get the job."

"Zelda is getting pretty far in her dancing career. Isn't that right, Miss Zelda?" Impa egged her, trying to get Zelda active in the conversation.

"Me? Yes, one of the top classes at Nintendo Fine Arts. I'm going to be going to famous dance competitions and meet some of the dancers." Zelda said softly. "Something I've always wanted."

"Really?" Peach said. She glanced at her sister's posture. _Gotta admit, Zelda has been getting better and better by the minute. She's so talented and she was loved a lot more than me by our parents. Maybe because I was such a schemer and Zelda was more of a go-getter. She would go out and always strive to be the best dancer in all her classes. She hasn't failed yet._ Peach rested her hands on the table. "Sounds like someone's getting up there. I'm impressed."

"Uh…thank you." Zelda just stared at sister. _This is so unreal. Now she's impressed with me? Is she intoxicated from having too many cookies? _She glanced at the clock up on the mantelpiece of her fireplace. It was going on 6:30.

Peach turned to Impa. "Yeah, I'm very excited about my new job. I'm really lovin' it down here. With all the excitement going around. You should come and meet my friends sometime Impa. I think you'll really like them."

Impa sighed. "Well, I'm glad that you love it down here, but aren't you going to visit us over at Joypadana at least once? Things are just not the same without your perky and peppy attitude at home."

"I'm sure my parents manage just fine without me being there. After all, they've never called me ever since I left home. I really don't think that's "missing" someone, Impa," Peach explained. "Though it's not like I really want to see them anyway. But if you ever go back down there, tell them I say "hey." Without enthusiasm." Peach added.

"Well…if you insist," Impa finally concurred. "I guess I can't change your mind. You truly have become a beautiful and admirable lady."

Peach blushed. "Oh, Impa. Thank you. You're making me feel bad about not ever coming back home." She looked at the same clock Zelda was glancing at. "But I do still remember all the good things I use to have at home. Money to buy cars, clothes, going on as many trips as I wanted. It was simply great. But I guess I just got a little full of all the best things in life."

Zelda looked defiantly at her sister. "How could you possibly get tired of wealth? With wealth, you get everything you want and hardly no one says no. Who wants to give that away?"

Peach shrugged. "Someone who wants more, than just the finer things in life. I believe it's called a normal life," she said sarcastically. "What makes it even cooler, is my friends accept me even if I'm a Harkinian at heart."

Impa smiled. "Oh…your friends sound simply sweet. I've already met two of them I believe. One was named Krystal and that other one was- "

"Gaiden." Zelda spat, having that bitter feeling on her tongue as she spoke his name. "He is such a fake. Pretending like he's really all that nice. He's just someone trying to get underneath your skin for money or other valuables."

"Link Gaiden is a decent guy and one of my dearest friends. By the way, they told me how rude you were to them the first night you met them." Peach crossed her arms defiantly. "You just can't help yourself can you?"

Sensing an argument, Impa cut into the scene. "Peach I'd like to hear about your friends. What are they like?"

Peach took a deep breath. Her anger slowly subsided like a tsunami changing back to calm tides. Twirling her loose blonde locks around her hair, she readied herself to try and keep her calm composure like she had vowed to do. She put on fake smile, turning away from Zelda. "They're the best. There's Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi who are two competitive pilots but loads of fun. There is of course Link, and his analyzing, deep meaning, yet humorous personality. Plus there's my best friend, Krystal Tamari. Kryssie and I get along so well, we're like sisters."

Zelda felt a weird feeling in her stomach. _Honestly, how dull can she get? I saw nothing so great about Krystal, that she needs someone like Peach to call her sister. In fact I feel more sorry for Krystal to be so close to this witch. _But Zelda couldn't help but have this teeny feeling of (dare she say it) jealousy perhaps? Her sister's close relationship with her was gone. But she shouldn't care right?

"Then last but not least, my very best friend Roy Varvel. He was my first friend when I came here to Nintendo. He's such a hilarious and sweet guy. Always looking out for me, keeping me out of trouble, lending me money…"

"Hmm…sounds like a sweet guy. Is he possible boyfriend material?" Impa said resting her head in the palms of her propped up hands with a sly smirk on her face.

"No!" Heat had burned across Peach's face. She hid her face in her hands. "Don't say things like that. Roy and I are just best friends. Nothing more, nothing less. But that does remind me of something." She turned to Zelda. "Link's been asking about you lately. You two aren't going out are you?"

Flaring flames entered Zelda's overheated eyes. "Excuse me? That is one of the lowest insults I have ever heard. For you to think that clown and me, would even hold hands and go somewhere together is preposterous."

"And you wonder why you don't fit in here." Peach muttered under her breath. "It was just a question. Don't be so sensitive about it. It was just interesting to me, how much he talks to you. That's all. It's almost like he has a crush on you." Zelda snorted at that and muttered "whatever". Peach glanced at her watch. "It's late. I should be heading back before the sun goes down."

"Oh…wouldn't you like to stay over for the evening?" Impa turned to the silent Zelda, who seemed to be deep in thought. "I think Zelda and I would really appreciate it." She caught Zelda staring at her with wild eyes from her words.

Peach caught her sister's look and shook her head slowly. "I don't think I'm wanted here that much. But thanks for asking. My friends are probably worried about me not coming back yet. Thanks for having me over."

"You're welcome. But thanks for making my birthday a bit brighter." Impa pointed out. "We'll have to get together another time. Go shopping or take a day out and explore Nintendo okay? Don't be a stranger."

"Of course." Peach walked over to Impa, giving her a caring hug. "Have a happy birthday. I'll keep this phone number with me and we can talk some more. See you." She stood up and nodded to her sister in a respectful manner. She opened the door slowly walking outside. Peach shut the door behind her, getting ready to walk off when she heard the door open behind her. Zelda was walking over to her. She was carrying a small pink bag in her hand. Peach crossed her arms, as she stopped in front of her. "Yes?"

"Impa insisted that you take these cookies back with you. For you and your friends I mean." Zelda let the bag fall into Peach's hands. Peach nodded indicating her "thanks" before she decided to finally leave. "Peach wait!" These two words had somehow escaped out of Zelda's mouth.

Again Peach turned to face her sister, with a bewildered look on her face. "Is there…something else you need to give me?"

Zelda opened her mouth, but didn't find the words to say. It felt weird to talk to her sister normally. "So…you plan on seeing Impa all the time?"

Peach nodded. "Well…yeah. She is my friend, as much as she is yours and I don't want that relationship to dissipate. We're close and who wants to let go of such a companionship like that. Impa was one of the reasons; I had second thoughts of leaving home."

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "Well then, maybe you shouldn't have left. You should have stayed where you belonged. Impa was heartbroken when you left."

"Excuse me," Peach said in a heated tone. "But it was my decision on whether to leave or not. Why does it matter to you anyway? It's not like it's any of your business. I was here by myself until you came along."

"Isn't it obvious Peach?" Zelda snapped. "Look at how you're presenting yourself! You've turned from an uptown rich girl to a slums street rat! You dress poorly and you barely have any money to support yourself. Not to mention, you live in that disgusting home with all your other rotten friends. Look what kind of image you're putting on the Harkinians."

Peach felt the need to just strangle her right now. But not wanting to make a scene she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "You know what? I think you're an instigator." She reopened her eyes. "You love to pick fights. First off, I don't appreciate you talking about my condition or my best friends. They have done nothing to you and yet you talk about them like they've harassed you. Second, the name _"Harkinian"_ doesn't associate with me anymore and neither do I associate with that name. My name is Peach _**Toadstool**_." She glared at her sister. "So don't come talking to me about how **_your_ **family is getting rated. It's no longer my concern. In fact, you can just cut me off the family tree for all I care. Good day."

Peach turned around hair, greeting Zelda almost like a slap to the face and stormed down the hallway to go back home. But Zelda wasn't going to let the argument end so soon. She shouted back at her from the top of her lungs, "It's doesn't matter if your last name is Toadstool or any other phony name! As long as you walk these streets, everyone will always know you as a Harkinian!"

"I guess it'll be a curse that I'll have to live with." Peach glanced at her, after waving Zelda's retort off. "Oh, that's right." She turned back to Zelda, walking over to her. Her boots stomping loudly and angrily back down the hallway. She stopped only inches away from Zelda's nose. "There was something I forgot."

Zelda's eyes widened as she watched her sister pull off a family heirloom from her finger. The Harkinian ring seal. With this one trinket, the sisters had access to everything. As long as that ring was on their finger, they were known to be members of the family and could not be dealt with in anyway without authorization from their parents. Why would she give this back? Zelda let her sister grab her hand and jam the ring into her palm and close it. "You do realize what you're giving me do you?"

"Yes. It's the ring seal. I really don't know why I was keeping it on my finger all this time." Peach pondered for a moment. "Maybe to sell it in case I got into bankruptcy or something. But you can have it back. Just looking at it makes me sick."

Zelda gripped the ring hard in her arm. The band was leaving a mark in her flawless snow-white skin. "You're showing so much disgrace to our family now, its not even worth being made fun of. Why did you have to exist? You're just so foolish!"

Peach glared at her former sister. Those words brought memories back, from when she told her sister she was leaving. "To keep little brats like you in line. Don't you ever talk to me like that again!" Peach said in a mature and calm voice. She refused to let her anger show. "Whether you have that sealed ring on your hand or not. Or even if we were never born in same family, which by the way would be a blessing in heaven! I will take anyone down who dares to say something like that to me or anyone else close to me. Just try me." Peach gave her one last angered look, and then retreated back down the hallway.

Zelda angrily whammed her fist against the nearest wall. _Why is she such a little…I can't even think of saying the word in my mind. She doesn't understand what she is doing! _She stormed angrily back to her apartment room, opening the door with great force and then slamming it. She didn't apologize to Impa, as she saw her jump in fright.

"Miss Zelda." Impa was now taking on her nursemaid role. "Is everything alright with you and Peach?"

"Just dandy!" Zelda looked at the ring in her hand. She could just feel Peach's warmth from wearing it on her finger. She growled like an injured wolf in a trap and threw the ring at the nearest wall. "I'm going to my room!"

Impa squeezed her eyes shut as Zelda slammed the door, making the home seem like it was shaking. She could hear Zelda angrily talking to herself, but didn't bother to check on her. The glistening from the thrown item caught Impa's eye. She walked over to the trinket and recognized it right away as the family heirloom. By the bright turquoise color gem she knew right away it was Peach's. She sadly picked it up and shook her head. She thought things were getting better, by the looks of it. It was only getting worse. Impa didn't know why Peach was so rude to her sister, but it was only because of Zelda. In fact, Impa knew the exact reason why. But now she would need the help of another voice for the two sisters to finally come to an understanding of one another.

**Marth's Apartment**

"I'm back." Marth said solemnly walking up the stairs from the downstairs photo shop. Marth's mother was tired of walking back and forth from her photo shop, so his father finally bought a building where they could have their home right above the photo shop. Marth could smell the aroma of biscuits coming from the kitchen. His mother entered through the kitchen.

Just like Samus' mother, she kept a very young look. Sonia Lowell was only an inch or two shorter than her son and husband. She had thin raven black hair resting right at her shoulder blades. Her most famous attraction, just like her son was her nightfall blue eyes. There was always a twinkle in her eyes, as if there was a night sky full of stars living in her pupils. She was dressed in a long, black, evening gown and her hair was in a stylish bun with some of her bangs hanging out.

"Hi sweetie! How was your day?" Mrs. Lowell said in her usual high-pitched, perky voice. "It's been a bore without you here."

"I'm sorry, Mom. But I can't stay in the house forever. Got places to go and people to see," Marth said with a sincere smile. "I've got the rest of the evening if you need help with your shop or anything."

"No, hon. The shop was closed early today. Your father insists we go out tonight! Dancing as usual. I fear he's going to break a hamstring if we keep going out. His body doesn't move like it used to." His mother joked. "I feel so bad for leaving you. So I made a ton of your favorites to eat while I'm gone!"

Marth leaned his body to the left and he could see the food stacked on the table in the kitchen. He rolled his eyes mentally. _Man…she overdid it again._ Sonia was a very overprotective mother and loved Marth so dearly, since he was her one and only child. She would spoil him anytime she could, even if he was now an adult. To top that, she sunk into a depression whenever her "baby" left the house. Marth could remember how much she was bawling when he left for his job as an agent. It was almost as bad as when his mother refused to let him go to school sometimes, unless she was there.

Thankfully, his dad wasn't someone who liked to spoil Marth. Carter Lowell was quite the opposite. He's always talking to Marth about the family business and makes sure the twenty-one year old gets the best offered to him. Of course this got on Marth's nerves sometimes and he loved to do the opposite of what his dad wanted him to do, just to get him angry. However, this led to Marth and his father being on short circuits with each other.

" Um…thanks?" Marth said courteously.

"Oh…don't worry about it." She hugged her son affectionately. "I'll do just about anything for you, to assure your happiness."

"Okay, Mom." Marth got out of his mother's grasp. "You don't have to hug me every time I come home. What are you going to do when I get a house to myself?"

Hearing those words, made his mother frown. "Please don't say that around me. That's enough bad news on it's own."

Marth's cell phone started playing its usual ring tone. He picked it up not really giving much thought to who was calling. But his expression changed as he saw the name of who was calling. 'Samus Aran' was shown on his screen in bright letters.

"You've got to be kidding me," Marth muttered silently.

"Hey. What's wrong?" Mrs. Lowell asked. "Prank callers?"

"No it's nothing, Mom!"Marth spat out. "It's just…an old friend. I'll take the call up to my room!" Marth quickly jogged up the next flight of stairs.

"Oh. Do you want me to bring dinner upstairs to you?" She asked. Her response was a slam from the shut door. "Okay, I'll just bring a sample!"

Marth leaned back against the door. The phone was on it's last ring and without hesitation he clicked over. He brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"_Hey."_ A female voice. Without a doubt, this was Samus speaking. He had spoken to her enough on the phone to identify her voice. She didn't say another word and there was a long silence.

"So…what's up? I never expected you to call me. I mean after the two bad confrontations we had today and yesterday." Marth pointed out.

"_Yeah, I felt I was being pretty unfair to you both times. So I called to…apologize for my earlier actions. You know, I'm just really cautious."_

_What is there to be cautious about? You know me well enough to trust me! _Marth wanted to say those words to her, but didn't want Samus to hang up just yet. "I see. Well…don't worry about it. I accept your apology."

_"That's good to know. I've been thinking about it and I realized, I really do want to try us out being friends again,"_ Samus said a bit louder. _"The first day I saw you again, I thought to myself even though we don't go out anymore we should keep our friendship._

"I agree wholeheartedly," Marth replied with a smile. "That's what I was hoping for. Like I told you earlier, I missed you a lot during those two years."

"_Uh-huh," _Samus replied unsure of his words._ "Feeling's mutual I guess. So I guess we're going to be able to talk to each other normally then right?"  
_

"Yeah!" Marth answered with excitement, but it quickly died down. "But that is if you want to. I'm not going to pressure you into anything. After all, our parents still are in feuds with each other."

"_Yeah. They can be so childish. I do really want to speak to you. But I have to get off the phone, since my father is still here. So…I want to speak to you again tonight. Is your…" _Samus struggled with her next few words_. "…offer still open? I'd like to take it up."_

Marth remained silent for a moment. Samus was finally talking to him again and now she wanted to see him tonight. Of course he would see her without a doubt in his mind. "Always was. We can definitely talk tonight. Where do you want to meet?"

"_How about the Nintendo Park at 7:30? Parents will be gone by then."_ Samus suggested.

"Sounds great." Marth answered. "I see you tonight then." Samus said her good-bye's and quickly hung up the phone. Marth cheered to himself, grinning from ear to ear. The conversation was short, but it was still meaningful and rewarding. Samus and him were going to actually take that little walk and catch up with one another.

"Marth?" Mrs. Lowell poked her head in the door. "I really feel so bad about leaving. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Marth nodded. "Don't worry about it. I got it handled." He turned back towards the window, as his mom shut the door. "I'll be just fine," he said softly, as he instantly went off to thinking about Samus.

His day was suddenly changing for the better.

**End of Chapter**

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Author's Note: _Yay for the new chapter. Let's review. Falcon is hitting on Peach. Peach has denied all ties to her family and has cut herself out of their wealth. Zelda's angry for some odd reason but has built a relationship with Samus. Samus and Marth are going to take their little walk! Alrighty, so this was basically a bittersweet chapter. What's next you ask? Well...I'm not tellin. Thanks friends!_

_Royal Kenya_


	10. Chapter Nine

Didn't expect an update so soon huh? Well...I did it because today April 7th, I turned eighteen years old! So this is my birthday gift to you all! Thanks for your reviews last chapter! Here's the next chappie comin right at ya!

**_Disclaimer:_** I need to do this. I'm using a beautiful song which is not mine though I wish it were.

**_Note on Chapter:_** Focuses mainly on Marth and Samus. But also I was listening to these two songs **_"1000 Words"_** from Final Fantasy X-2 and another beautiful song called **_"Dearest"_ **by Ayumi Hamasaki which I recommend you all check out! Well I think the songs kinda affected my writing towards the end so it might sound a bit emotionally dramatic. But this is a romance/drama so that is A-Okay!

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

"ROY VARVEL! I'M GOING TO HIT YOU SO HARD THAT YOUR ANCESTORS WILL HEAR IT IN THEIR GRAVES!" Peach shouted at the top of her lungs. Roy was nowhere in sight. She crossed her arms pouting, not caring about the passing people now staring at her assumed insanity. It was late and Roy had promised to come get her, when she called him earlier on at Impa's house.

Peach sighed and leaned against the telephone pole. _For some reason, that yell made me feel tons better. Screaming at the world usually does. Though I feel the need to get some water now. _Peach placed her hand in her purse pulling out some pocket change for buying possibly water. Spying a vending machine in the corner of her eye, she made sure Roy was not there before walking off to the source of drinks.

"I think I might want a raspberry tea." Peach said to herself looking at all the selections. She placed her money into the slot and began to ponder what to drink. Seeing nothing else of interest, she decided to go with her previous choice and pressed the button. The rumbling of the machine scared Peach, seeing it was also shaking. The soda popped out quickly in the empty vent towards the bottom of the machine.

"Where is that little pinhead?" She said softly as she took a sip of her soda. Turning back around to wait at the corner, she let out a scream in fright. Her soda fell out of her hand and made a dull crash to the ground, its brownish contents fizzing and spilling along the concrete. Peach glared at the person who made her lose her drink. "Hey! That was my soda you dimwit!" Normally Peach wouldn't rant on people like that, but after seeing him once Peach felt she could talk to Falcon anyway she felt.

Falcon placed his hands up in defense. "Whoa sorry! I didn't mean to scare you that much! I'll take a note of that." He placed his palm upright like a piece of paper and made a pretend writing utensil with his hand. "Note to self. Doesn't like to be scared."

Peach glared at him. "That's not funny! You take everything as a joke!"

"Another note…does not have a sense….of…humor. Check!" Falcon added. He gave her an innocent smile, as she continued to glare at him. "Just trying to make you smile."

"You've tried millions of times. But it seems all your encounters are only causing trouble for me." She looked back down at her fallen drink. "A wasted dollar."

"Oh right. Your little soda. Hey, let me make it up to you. I'll give you a ride back home." Falcon suggested. "I'll drive much safer this time."

Peach looked down the street. Several cars were passing by, but she didn't recognize any of them to be the one she was looking for. She closed her eyes. "You give me a ride and buy me a new soda right now." She answered, not making it a choice.

"Feisty girl. But your demands are fair. Didn't expect you to give in so quickly." He walked over to his car, which was conveniently a meter or two away from where Peach was standing. He casually walked over to the passenger's side of the vehicle and opened it for Peach. "Here you go, miss."

Peach smirked. "So there is a gentleman inside of you." She walked over to his car and sat down in the car, moving her legs into the comfortable vehicle. She glanced over at Falcon as he hopped into the driver's seat. Peach truly could not understand why a total stranger was treating her so nicely. He knew nothing about her except a few things and Peach was the same about him. What was keeping him around?

Falcon caught her gazing at him. "What? Is something on my face, distracting you?" He rubbed his mouth, making sure there wasn't a flaw on him.

"Oh no. Nothing at all." Peach answered swiftly. She was trying to look anywhere but his handsome face. The engine of the car revved loudly as he drove down the street. It appeared he wasn't keeping his word, of driving more safely like he had promised, but she didn't bother to point it out to him.

"Hey! I've got an even better way to pay you back. There's an ice cream shop by your place right?" He eyed Peach, as she nodded. "Well how about I take you there? My treat?"

"Get ice cream? I don't know." Peach bit her lip. "If I didn't know any better it would seem like you're trying to get me on a date. All these acts of courtesy are making me quite suspect of you."

"Of course they are. If I were in your position, I would be suspicious of me too. But come on, every guy has an angle for doing some polite act of kindness. Though like I said, I understand why you're keeping a watchful eye on me." Peach didn't realize how close they were to her home. He saw the little shop in view. "So… are you in or not?" He looked over at Peach, with sincere brown eyes. "I just want to get to know you."

"Well… you're lucky I'm kinda in the mood for the ice cream." Peach answered. She gave him a smile. "I'll give you one chance to give me an ideal picture of you."

Falcon grinned. "Sweet. I won't let you down." He said softly, as they came to a stop in front of the ice cream parlor.

**Nintendo Park**

"Great…I'm late!" Marth Lowell said himself as he turned down the street. "I should have just taken the car!" The park was in plain view at the end of the street. He was on time earlier, but his mother wore him down with questions about where he was going and he had to come up with some kind of excuse so she wouldn't stalk him. By then, time had really flown out of his hands and now he had to motor if he didn't want Samus to leave.

Marth jogged down the streets as fast as a dashing rabbit. He rammed into a few people and got yelled at a couple times, but he didn't bother to apologize. The crosswalk said, "Don't Walk" but he ignored the sign and sped into the street without another thought. The lights from a black car shined on him, but he simply moved a little and continued on his way!

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING KID!" The driver snapped.

Again, Marth ignored the replies to his ignorance and kept on moving. No one could understand a guy on his way to a second chance with a girl. Though he still couldn't understand why he had to be taking a second chance. He still was quite unsure about what had happened to make them break up. All he could remember was Samus' email telling him about how she no longer wanted to be with him anymore because apparently he was cheating on her with another woman.

Marth could remember the shock he felt when he received such an accusation. He loved Samus more than anything back then and the last thing he would do was cheat on her. But that's what the email had said and he was just going to have to accept it for now. His father was visiting him at the time and when he saw the email he said, "I told you. Arans can turn on you in an instant. Making them your girlfriend isn't any easier when they turn on you." Shaking his head, Marth sighed angrily at his father's thoughts. _Samus isn't like that. It had to be some terrible misunderstanding. I mean after four years of going out, it just seems wrong that this break up ever happened._

"You're late." Samus Aran was standing right at the gate of the park. Her arms were crossed and a disapproving frown was on her face. Marth hadn't realized his thoughts had carried him all the way to the park. But he didn't wish to ponder it, with Samus standing there looking slightly annoyed. "Some things never change huh? Never a day in your life were you on time for our dates…well…gatherings." She corrected herself.

Marth bowed his head. "Sorry about that, Samus. My mother was delaying me for a bit. You know how she can get sometimes."

"I know." Samus answered. Her eyes rose a bit, when she noticed Marth was looking her up and down. In an instant it reminded her of what Jean used to do to her. "What are you looking at? She interrupted his staring, and his eyes fell on her.

"Nothing. You just look very nice tonight, Sam. It's just different from what I used to see in the past." Marth smiled warmly at the nineteen year old.

Samus blushed as she looked down at her attire. She was dressed in a pair of brown and beige plaid pants and a mocha colored long sleeved top complete with a scarf around her neck in the same pattern as her pants. Samus fiddled with her hair. _Come on girl. There's nothing for him to be gawking about. Besides the size of my boobs, but how unlikely would that be? Just relax and respond back. _

"Thanks." She answered quietly. "You look great too."

Marth was wearing jeans with a white collared top. He had a black blazer on top of the outfit and white tennis shoes. He wasn't really thinking about dressing up so Samus would think he was trying to make this a date. "Yeah, I know I always look good."

"Don't flatter yourself. Don't want to oversize your ego even more than it already is," Samus joked. They laughed but it was only a moment before silence took over again. "Well…are we going to start walking or what?"

"Sure. It's a large park, so we got a lot of time." Marth walked past her towards the park. He didn't try to grab her hand, and just walked with his hands shoved in his pockets. He turned to her with an eyebrow raised. "You plan on standing there all evening?"

Samus was half expecting Marth to grab her hand and secretly she was hoping he would. But there were some privileges she could no longer have anymore. If they were the young little scamps from years ago, holding hands would be acceptable. But at this age, dating would be the only assumption people would make for such gestures. She turned away from the street and followed into the park, neither of them aware of the upcoming events.

**The Hostel**

"BUY! BUY! BUY!"

"SAVE! SAVE! SAVE!"

"NOTHING IS MORE GROOVY!"

"THAN BUYING COUCHES FROM DAVE!"

"Shut it off, please," The annoyed Krystal replied. She sighed in relief as Link flicked the channel to another little drama on TV. "That has got to be one of the most annoying commercials ever created."

Link nodded. "True. But they do get a lot of customers everyday. Even if their merchandise is pretty phony ya know?" He noticed Krystal wasn't even paying attention to him, but was back to staring off into place like before. She had been like that ever since Fox had come back inside from visiting the Aerial Flying School. "Everything okay, Krys?"

"Hmm?" Krystal's green eyes flowed over to Link's azure eyes staring at her. She grimaced in embarrassment, realizing she was ignoring him. "Oh it's…Link? Can I ask you something? What would you do if your little brother decided to do something dangerous? Like skydiving or anything? Wouldn't you try to stop him?"

"Well…I would definitely want to stop him. He's my little bro and it's my responsibility to look after him since he's someone I care about deeply." Krystal nodded at his opinion. "But.." Link continued. "If he refuses to listen to me, there's nothing I can say to him to stop his desires. Of course, right now I can, since he's just a minor." He looked at Krystal seriously. "Is this about Fox?" Link sighed when Krystal nodded again. "Krystal, you know Fox is very hardheaded. He won't just quit doing what he loves to do."

"I know that!" Krystal raised her voice. "I'm sorry, Link. But this isn't something easy for me to just sit back and watch. Why is it that you boys are so blind to the truth? You can never realize the danger in some of the things you do."

"We're just bold and crazy Krystal. Challenges excite us and we hardly ever think about the consequences of things when we set out to do them. Like me talking to Zelda. That is like a challenging video game with obstacles. But back on subject, let Fox go on one of the missions and then he'll realize what he's doing is pretty dangerous. Perhaps Falco will realize too."

Krystal sunk down into the leather couch. "Only one can hope." The phone on the hostel keeper Mr. Jones' desk started to ring. "I'll get it!" Link called as he ran over to the desk. Mr. Jones was out for the evening and had asked them to run things while he was gone. Link grabbed the phone on the very last ring.

"Hello. You've reached Shasta Towers. How can I help you?" Link asked the caller. "Oh…Ms. Impa! How are you? This is Link remember? Yeah…" Link's eyes looked rather perplexed. "Oh really? Hold on a sec." Link removed the receiver from his ear and looked over at Krystal. "Hey, Zelda's keeper Impa, wants to talk to us."

Krystal blinked in astonishment. "Really?" She hopped up from her seat on the couch and walked over to where Link was. He was placing the phone on speaker. "Hi, Ms. Impa."

_"Please just call me Impa you two. You make me sound older than I want to be."_ Impa replied on the phone. _"I know this phone call was kind of unexpected. But I need help from you two if you don't mind."_

"Sure. What about?" Krystal asked with interest.

_"You see…well you two know that Miss Peach came to visit me for my birthday this evening. First things were turning out pretty peaceful and mellow. The girls weren't bickering at all and reliving old times. I thought for sure maybe their disputes would finally end. But unfortunately as Peach was leaving they got into another argument. I was hoping this gathering would change them."_

"Yeah. That is quite a shame." Link said. Krystal nodded in agreement even though she knew Impa would not be able to see it. "How is the little pistol Zelda anyway?"

_"She's ranting in her room right about now. Whenever she and Peach argue, she retreats to her room shortly after the argument and starts complaining in random languages to herself. I've tried trying to calm her down, but she just barks at me to leave her alone."_

Krystal bit her lip. "That's terrible. How can we help?"

_"Zelda doesn't know it, but she's voicing her feelings out pretty well in her rants. I know she says she hates Peach , but I know that she misses her very much. I don't know if that's the same for Peach, but I am definitely sure Miss Zelda feels this way. But she's a hard nut to crack and I was wondering if I could ask for your assistance?"_

"You know we'll help but what can we do? Zelda is really not one to make friends just by kind words." Krystal explained.

_"True. But yesterday when you two helped Zelda with her ripped bag, I knew she was feeling some hint of gratitude for your kindness. I just want to bring it out a bit more. Believe it or not, Zelda did once have a sweet side. But it all changed once Peach ran away from home."_

"You're right. It is very hard to believe." Krystal muttered. "But I don't mind trying to help her out. I'd like to see a different Zelda for a change."

Link grinned. "Now that I have permission, I'm going to pestering her like crazy. I know she loves it when we talk to her."

_"That's what I believe too. I have to go right now, but I'm counting on you two plus anyone to help Zelda return back to the sweet girl she was and possibly back to being friends with Peach again."_

"Understood." Link commented. "We'll make sure of it Miss Impa."

_"Thanks. I'll talk to you more about it later. Good night."_ Impa hung up and the sound of the dial tone filled the air of the hostel. Link pressed the speaker button off.

Krystal caught his grin. "I know that look. You must already have a plan, for little Miss Prissy," she guessed.

Link nodded. "Just one of the many plans I have for Zelda to start liking me. You already know what it is. You'll see on Monday."

Krystal's eyes widened. "Oh…that." She smirked. "She will definitely be in for a surprise. Hopefully she won't kill you for it."

"Hey guys!" Roy came barging through the front door, into the lobby, where the two friends were standing by the front desk. He skidded to a halt in front of them, searching the room. "Has Peach come here yet?"

"Um…Peach?" Link echoed. "No. We've been here in the lounge ever since you left. We would've saw her if she came in. She wasn't over at the apartment?"

Roy shook her head. "It was already bad enough she didn't tell me how she got to the apartment in the first place. I was freaking out when I realized the car was still here. But now she's not even near the place." Roy bit his lip. "Do you think something happened to her?"

"Oh no. Not to Peach." Link gave Roy a reassuring smile. "Peach is a black belt isn't she? I don't think we have anything to worry about. If there's anyone to worry about, it's the person who tried to grab her."

Krystal agreed. "He's right, Roy. She may have gotten a ride from another one of her friends since you were taking too long. You did leave a tad bit late."

"It was only because I had to do the chores Jones left me. I wasn't going to let him double my rent fee," Roy answered. "Besides, what friend would possible pick Peach up? She has no others besides us."

"What makes you think that? Peach doesn't have to tell us everything about her friends. She may be living a double life for all we know," Krystal argued. "Don't worry about it, Roy. Just give it some time. She should be back soon."

Roy crossed his arms. "I can't really sit around not knowing where Peach is. I've tried calling her and her cell phone is off." He ran a hand through his red hair. "Where could she possibly be?"

**Nintendo Park**

"So the car went WHOOSH! It flew right into the back of the house!" Falcon exclaimed with a laugh.

Peach's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! What did your parents say when they saw that catastrophe? They weren't too harsh were they?"

"Heck yeah, they were angry! Furious to be more exact. Samus was only four years old when I tried to take my Dad's car for a drive. When they found their baby girl was in the scene of danger my mom was screaming at me and my dad smacked me a couple of times!"

"Jeez you were only nine when it happened. I would consider that child abuse. Oh dear, how was Samus after that traumatizing experience?"

Falcon chuckled. "Actually she was the only one with a smile on her face after that. She kept on saying. "Do it again! Do it again!" Falcon mimicked his sister's past youthful voice. "She had no idea what happened. She only thought it was some crazy little roller coaster ride."

Peach giggled. "How funny!" She licked some more of her Strawberry ice cream. "This is so good!"

"Aren't you glad I bought it now?" Falcon said as they walked further into the park. Things were going his way. Peach had agreed to ice cream and she was actually smiling. To top it off, she agreed to go walking with him in the park while they ate. He was just feeling like he was on cloud nine. Peach was an absolute beauty and he would do anything to make sure she would start having strong feelings for him. This kind of task was never actually a challenge to the racer. He was born with good looks and so the girls would come pouring over to him, without lifting a finger. Though sometimes, there would be a small percentage of girls who would always play hard to get. Peach was in that percentage. But Falcon could only smirk to himself and think. _I love a good challenge._

Peach gave him an approving nod. "Alright. You get some more brownie points from me. You're more decent than I thought. I really should stop stereotyping people just by how they look."

Falcon looked down at her. "You were stereotyping me? I'm curious to know. What did I appear to you as?"

Peach stopped walking, placing a hand on her hip. "Let's see. From your well-kept hair, perfect teeth smile, and buff biceps. You seemed like some big chauvinistic, lecherous, seductive, racecar driver." She answered. She chuckled a bit at Falcon's shocked look. "But I don't think that way about you anymore. There's some heart behind those muscles."

"…I'm in no position to criticize. When I first saw you, I started a few stereotypes myself. From my observations you looked like this good natured, outgoing, gorgeous princess." Falcon announced.

"Oh really?" Peach frowned and turned on him, realizing all those things were good traits. " So what do you think of me as now?"

Falcon kneeled his face into Peach's. "Nothing. You're just what I assumed." He gently touched her face, pushing her blonde hair out of her face. "A gorgeous princess."

Peach blushed as red as a rose. She wasn't expecting him to respond with such a nice comment. She started to realize this guy was really making her blush a lot and when he touched her, she could not deny that she liked that feeling. "Oh….I-I see." Peach answered. She backed away from him looking down the park.

Falcon didn't let her move so quickly. "Sorry if I embarrassed you. You're so red, tomatoes ought to be ashamed of their color." He joked.

Peach's face finally returned to normal. "Your comparisons are so stupid! But likeable." Peach added. "Can I ask you why you have this sudden interest in me?"

"I was wondering when you would ask me that. Peach, I can tell somewhere in your heart that you're longing for something more. I love that in a girl. When girls have dreams in their hearts it shows in their personalities and I have to say it's dang well attractive." Falcon grabbed her free hand, his brown eyes staring into her own. "I guess what I'm trying to say is I really would love to get to know you more on possibly… a date?"

Peach gasped silently. _After one day, he's already deeply interested in me? He can't be serious. But what's weird is after going to that shop and just on this little walk, I feel like I've known him for a long time. Maybe this is the break I was asking for. He's a racer and I'm a model. Two very famous careers. _She ended her thoughts and removed her hand from Falcon's. "I must say. This really surprises me, Falcon. So soon, you already want to go out with me?"

"I know. But I just have a strong feeling about this." Falcon answered. "It's a feeling knowing that taking you out on a date, is a good way for us to start…well.. a relationship. On friendly terms possibly."

_A date's a date. If you go out, it's not on friendly terms but obviously so we can get together. He of all people should know that. He's probably had a bunch of girls back in…ugh…there I go stereotyping again. I've really got to learn how to cut down._ Peach rubbed her hands together. "Well…I guess I could give this date a chance. It wouldn't hurt."

"My bad," Falcon apologized. "Was that question uncomfortable for you?"

"No…it's just…" She thought about Roy. Just about how yesterday they almost kissed each other. What would Roy think if he found out she and Falcon were going on a date? Those feelings he had for her, would they go away? Peach didn't want to be the one to break Roy's heart, by admitting how she doesn't feel the same way for him. Roy was sweet but he just didn't fit the qualities Peach wanted in a man. But Falcon was pretty close.

"There's another man in your life right? He may not know it, but you're hoping to tell him one day." Falcon's face fell to a saddened look, at his assumption. It made Peach feel extremely guilty. "Is it that red haired friend you were with yesterday?"

"No!" The answer escaped through Peach's lips so quickly. "He's just a friend and nothing more. I think I would really like to consider going on "a" date with you."

"Really? That's…that's great! I…can't believe you just said that!" Falcon exclaimed, his grin was as large as a clown's. "Wow…this is just exciting news."

Peach smirked. "Hey. You sound like you just proposed to me and I said yes." She joked.

"You never know what the future holds…" Falcon told her.

"What?" Peach questioned.

"Oh nothing!" Trying to cover up for his mistake of indicating possible future plans for him and the blonde, he gazed further into the park. What he saw, made his eyes glower in anger. It was his sister Samus, but alongside her was his enemy Marth Lowell. From what he could see, this time Samus wasn't trying to back away from him, but was enjoying her time with her ex. His nostrils flared in anger as he stared at the blue haired one, wishing he were over there right now to strangle him. He turned back to Peach. "Want me to take you home now?"

"Um…sure?" Peach answered. She spotted a water fountain not too far away from where she stood with Falcon. "Let me just wash my hands from this ice cream cone."

"Alright. I'm going to head to the bathroom for a second." Falcon jogged over to where the bathrooms were, but instead of going inside he went behind the stalls out of Peach's sight. Seeing no one around he pulled out his razor cell phone and used the voice dial button to call up a friend. When the phone started to ring, a deep voice answered on the phone. "Hey it's Falcon. I'm over at Nintendo Park, and I need you over here ASAP. That blue haired nitwit didn't catch the memo about him leaving my little sis alone. I'm gonna need your help after I take this girl home. Be here in ten minutes. Ole' blue boy needs to be punished."

**Deep In Nintendo Park**

"Looks like we finally reached the center of Nintendo Park." Marth announced. The park was formed like a large garden labyrinth except it was easy to find the way out with the helpful arrows perched in the soil. Many people never really ventured towards the middle of the park, because the walk was way too long, but Samus and Marth had endured it. It was really worth the walk though. In the center was a very large fountain and surrounding artistic statues done by famous artists from centuries ago. You can tell the park had been around for a long time through the twisting vines and other pastoral scenes there. It was almost like being in beautiful ruins.

Samus was feeling quite tired from all the walking. Strange the feeling never came to her until she was stopped by Marth's comment. The two hadn't talked about anything important yet. They had mentioned each other's careers and how their families were holding up. It was a pleasant conversation minus any bitter moments between them. Samus was starting to think maybe this walk was a great idea.

"Do you mind if we sit down for a bit? My legs feel like Jell-O right now." Samus asked. Marth nodded and they rested their bodies on the surrounding seats of the fountain. Samus turned to face the fountain. There were still fish swimming in the water, like she had remembered. Nothing had changed from the times she had come to the center of the park.

Marth gazed down at Samus, now trickling her long and slender fingers across the water. The fish were not fazed by Samus touching the top of the water. Marth chuckled softly. "You're always so gentle."

Samus' fingers froze as she looked up at Marth. "What do you mean exactly?"

"With the fish. They're not afraid of your soft touch. You always have a smooth way of doing things, where no one is thinking otherwise of your ways." Marth commented. He was still receiving the same bewildered stare from his companion. "It was a compliment."

The blonde's emerald eyes were fixed on Marth. After a second more, she finally rolled her eyes and looked back at the water. "Whatever you say." She felt so uncomfortable with Marth around. It reminded her back when they first started dating. It was easier talking to him when they were just friends, but becoming girlfriend and boyfriend changed everything. Samus found it hard to find things to talk about. She remembered what Marth had said to her when he started to notice her uneasiness. Don't try so hard, he said.

"So are you enjoying yourself?" Marth asked all of a sudden. "I'll feel like this walk was a waste if you're bored out of your mind."

"I actually am enjoying myself. I had planned to spend the evening finishing up some homework. I'm glad I changed my mind."

"Oh. Weren't you going on some kind of date with that Jean character?" Marth asked as he leaned back, close to Samus. "Or was I just hearing things?"

Samus shook her head. "You heard correctly, eavesdropper. But it turned out Jean was a bit more touchy feely than asked. That didn't ride well with me. I was going to show him this special place too."

"I see…" Marth looked at the surrounding setting of the area. "This is where you and me would always hang out when our parents were always arguing. Sure it was open to the public, but it was our own little hideout." _Those times were always grand in my eyes. We would stay out here for hours and just talk. Is that why Samus suggested we come here? To relive old times?_

Samus folded her arms over her chest, shivering. The night breeze was picking up pretty quickly. As she rubbed her hands together she saw Marth take his blazer off and hold it out for her. Samus stared at the him and then at the jacket.

"You should have brought a coat. But as usual, never thinking about yourself." Marth spoke. "The cold doesn't bother me, so take it before you lose that beautiful singing voice of yours." Marth smiled warmly at her. "I insist."

Samus took the jacket from him. She placed it on her body and she automatically felt warm. She could smell the familiar loveable scent of Marth on the jacket. She nodded in thanks and then looked back at the sky. "To this day, you're always looking out for me." Samus whispered.

"It's a part of my nature. It was my duty as your boyfriend to make sure you were well guarded," Marth replied. "When I left to go be an agent, I remember the depressed feeling of being relieved of my job as a guard to my mother and of course you," he explained.

"Then…why did you leave at all?" Samus looked down at him. "You should have stayed here with me…well your mother." she corrected herself. _Why do I keep sounding like a lonely little girl? I sound like I want Marth to take me back. But I want him only as a friend right?_

Marth glanced at Samus. He smirked. "So you did miss me after all. All this time I thought I was just trouble for you ever since I came back."

"You weren't any trouble. It was just that… I don't understand why you had to leave. When you left everything changed for the better, but also for the worse. I was able to become a singer, but then we had to break up for obvious reasons." Samus gripped the rim of the fountain for support. "That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life. You seemed so innocent."

Marth arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean I _seemed_ so innocent? "

"I don't really have to explain myself, do I?" Samus' soft voice, started to sound strict and firm. "For fourteen years, Marth Lowell. We have known each other. Through those years I thought I had gained some kind of trust in you. But then…" Samus stopped herself. "...well we promised we weren't going to talk about it. I'd prefer to keep it that way."

"If you say so…" Marth remembered that email Samus had sent him. It came to her after he sent her the video of how his journey was going. It was anything but peaceful. He remembered clearly what it had said.

"_You really have no heart! How dare you send me a video of you kissing some other girl! I don't know what possessed your mind to send me this! But if you think I'm smiling, you can think again! I never want to speak to you again Marth Lowell! You cold heartless jerk!"_

Marth realized that day that Samus wasn't fond of anyone kissing her boyfriend. The truth behind it all was Marth was only giving the girl CPR. But when he tried to explain to Samus in the email…

"_Oh yeah like that was really CPR. I know a French kiss when I see one! Nice try, but I'm not a stupid blonde! Save yourself some trouble and just shut-up! I'm through with you! We're through!"_

_By the way she responded to my email, she didn't seem like it was the hardest thing for her to do. The way the letter sounded, she seemed like she was content with what she wrote without any remorse. But even though she said that to me, I can't find myself letting go of her so easily. _Marth thought to himself. The blue haired young adult remembered how he wrote an angered email after that, writing an email ranting out his feelings and he even threw in some lies about how he doesn't care if he breaks up with her and how he was enjoying spending time with the girl he so-called kissed. But he didn't have the heart to send the email back to her. He still loved Samus.

Samus fiddled with her fingers. "I'm not one who likes to stay on an anger streak for life. So I'm glad we can start over as friends."

"Me too." Marth answered, half-heartedly.

Samus gave Marth a perplexed stare. He didn't respond to her looks, but kept staring off into space. Samus felt a knot in her stomach. "That didn't sound like the truth. What are you really thinking?"

"Why didn't you believe me?" Marth asked. The past was eating away at his heart. "That day I sent you that video of my journey. The girl I was giving CPR to offended you. You said I was kissing her." Marth's heart was starting to feel very hurt. "But you've known me so long, Samus. Why didn't you trust my words?"

Samus felt a little spark igniting in her stomach. It was the same spark that always flared whenever this tender subject was brought up. "I thought we weren't going to talk about this." Samus replied, trying to avoid a nasty confrontation. But Marth was far from getting off the subject.

"I can't keep it quiet anymore, Sam. It has been irritating me ever since the day it happened. You offended me badly when you said I was a liar. Why would I lie to you? Like you said, we've known each other for fourteen years." Marth retorted. "There has never been anything kept secret between us so often."

"Yes, but you were keeping all the secrets in the world while you were away. What was stupid was your idea of sending the video to me. It's nothing I'm going to say that I'm proud of you for. If anything, I was just ashamed of you and myself." Samus stood up, feeling very uncomfortable sitting next to Marth now. Samus' green eyes lit up with anger. "What was I thinking when I said I'd be your girlfriend? You're such a poser!"

Marth stood up as well, almost as angry as she was. "I thought you were thinking that you loved me the way I once did!" He lied. "I can now see why my father says you Arans cannot be taken seriously. The littlest thing offends you all!"

"Don't talk about my family! Yours is already as cracked up as they can get! If anyone was right it was my dad telling me how you guys can't be trusted! He told me this since day one and I wish now when my father was begging me to reconsider going out with you, I had listened!" She knew this was a bad idea to try to befriend him. Samus was trying to offend Marth enough, so he would leave, but she felt like she was only hurting herself. He was standing as still as a stone fox, with a fixed cold stare. Samus could barely stand being in front of him, and she thought tears would start leaking from her eyes. How did this turn from good to bad? His stare angered her so much, that she lost control of her own tongue. "Loving you was the biggest mistake of my life!"

Those words broke Marth's calm stature. Samus had just taken an arrow and shot him directly in the heart, shattering it into a million pieces. What was there to say after a response like that? Marth didn't even want to try and say anything.

"I seriously don't know why you keep trying to explain yourself about that whole situation. It shouldn't matter since we're not together." Samus continued onand walked some distance away from Marth. "Don't you know what the words "break-up" means? For me it means, I don't give a freakin care about you anymore!" Samus knew she was lying again. But why try to explain how she really felt?

"Is that the truth?" He ended softly. "Fine I can take a hint." He looked up at Samus and slowly walked over to her. Not shifting his eyes for a minute.

"What are you doing?" Samus took a step back.

Marth just stood next to her for a second. " You don't have to say another word. I know when someone really wants me around. Obviously you don't." He passed her up the way he did earlier on this morning, but this time he wasn't going to go home expect a phone call from her. He was just going to go home and erase every inch of Samus Aran from his head.

Samus suddenly felt like the villain. She sighed and tried to gather herself to possibly redeem herself. "Look Marth. What I said may have been a bit harsh."

Marth stopped walking. "Heh… a bit harsh?" He turned around giving Samus a glare she had never seen before. It was so cold it made Samus shiver. "You just told me, loving me was the biggest mistake of your life. Sort of like saying meeting me was a mistake or a curse!" he spat.

"No! I…I didn't mean it like that… I meant…" Samus stammered.

"You meant I am someone who held you back all your life! You feel like you were screwed out of love because you said yes to me. I can read it all over your face," Marth responded. He shook his head. "Maybe meeting you was the biggest mistake of my life."

Samus watched as he slowly walked away again. As he was walking, Samus felt like every inch he got further away she was losing him. Little by little, she felt like he was going away and never coming back. She would never see him again.

Marth wanted to look back at the woman he had just abandoned, but felt it would be best if he didn't. Then he would start feeling guilty for what he did. He didn't need to be guilty right? As he was going to answer his own question, he felt a force pull him to a stop. Slender and cold arms wrapped around his waist from the back and lay firmly upon his stomach, locking him there. Refusing to let go. He felt a head press against his back, resting there. He could tell by the scent of the hair it was Samus and it was definitely a shock to him. He could see her through the corner of his eye, gripping on to him as tight as she could.

"Samus…" He made a gesture to get free and he could get free easily. But it amused him, to see she was hanging on and so he stopped at his attempt.

"Don't leave." Samus whispered against his back. "Don't make me go through it again." Samus didn't know why she ran, grabbed him, and held him there. Something in her heart just sparked and she just had to run after what it wanted. Marth to stay. Just for a moment longer.

Marth sighed and removed her hands from around him. It didn't take much power to move the blonde's hands. Samus backed off when he turned around to face her. He had lost the anger on his face and now just had a serious look on his face. "You don't want me to leave?"

Samus stared into his cobalt eyes. She shook her head. "I didn't really mean all these things I said. I mean…I don't know what…I'm doing anymore. I'm just…" She lowered. "My emotions are just so confusing. I'm so sorry..." She looked away from Marth, feeling ashamed.

But Marth stopped her from looking away. "Samus. Maybe I can help guide you into finding your answer." He gently lifted Samus' face up and without indicating what he was going to do, he kissed her fully on the lips. It wasn't passionate or moving, but there was warmth in it. He didn't try to be seductive or anything. It was just a simple and smooth kiss. He broke away as quickly as he kissed her and dropped his hands.

Samus was not only surprised that he kissed her, but she was really just confused on what he did. It was like his kiss was missing something. "I don't understan- "

Marth placed a finger to her lips silencing her. "What did that kiss mean to you?" He removed his finger, to receive an answer. "How did it make you feel?"

Samus stood there, still confused. _How it made me feel? I don't know. It was just so…soft and warm. There was nothing passionate about it._

Marth chuckled, knowing Samus wouldn't answer. He snapped his fingers to get her out of her thinking stage. "It's not something you can answer right away. You have to think about it. But when you have the answer, I want to know." He patted her on the shoulder in a friendly manner. "Good night, Samus Aran." He then disappeared out of the center of the park.

Samus felt her lips. They felt like they hadn't been kissed at all. His touch had left them so quickly. What did that kiss mean to her? She just didn't know. Samus started to walk slowly out of the park herself. This walk was nothing but confusing to her. Did Marth plan this from the very beginning? To leave her lost and confused was his plan? Well he had succeeded if that was the truth. Samus hurried out to her car, ready to rest after a day like this. But for some reason, she felt like she would be doing anything but dreaming pleasant dreams this night and possible further on.

**Hostel**

"Hey I'm back!" Peach exclaimed as she jogged into the building. Her cheery attitude came to a halt when she saw all her friends staring at her. Roy's face was in a twist of shock. "Is everything okay?"

Roy jumped out of his seat. "Where've you been woman!" He rushed over and grabbed her by the shoulders. "I went to building and you weren't there! I thought we were going to have to call a SWAT team!"

"Relax! I just hitched a ride and here I am!" Peach answered. She looked at Krystal and Link who were just getting over their own worries for their friend. "I'm sorry I worried you guys so much!" Krystal and Link nodded, understanding and forgiving.

Roy on the other hand, started to inspect her. "You hitched a ride? It wasn't some complete stranger was it? Who was it?"

"It was a blueberry pimp!" Peach joked. She chuckled and rolled her eyes at the red head's gullibility. She nervously stopped her humorous gestures, when she saw Roy's serious face."I'm just kidding you, Roy! I thought you'd get it, Mr. King Of Jokes. It was actually Samus Aran's older brother, Douglas Falcon. Or Falcon for short." Peach explained.

Roy's blue eyes widened. "Really? That same jerk who almost beat up Marth? Why would you catch a ride with that birdbrain?"

"Oh stop it." Peach retorted. "He's not as big as a jerk as he seemed. He was just watching out for his little sis. It's completely understandable."

"Sounds like a big old velvet teddy bear kind of dude." Link joked.

Krystal punched Link in the shoulder and then leaned over on the couch's arm, smiling at Peach. "So are you two best buddies or something?"

Peach giggled. "Actually we're…" Peach stopped herself when she looked at Roy. She suddenly remembered about their almost kiss. How awkward would it be to mention that Falcon asked her out on a date. Of course she didn't know if it would offend Roy or not. _I think it's best if I don't say anything about it in front of Roy just yet. He may get a little angry with me for deciding to go out on one little date with him. But he shouldn't since we've never gone out and he's not my father or boyfriend. But just for safety measures. _Peach bopped herself on the head playfully. "We just have a lot in common! Yep, that's all!" She glanced at the clock on the door. "Is it that late? Well…I'll see you guys in the morning!" She ran up towards the bedding area leaving her friends in the silent room.

Krystal and Link didn't really give much thought to what had just happened, but Roy was already brainstorming. _They have a lot in common? Only way she would know that is if they spent a massive amount of time together. That could be it. But why? Peach can't be interested in him. Could she?_

**Streets of Nintendo**

"YOU !"

Marth turned around to be met with a fist to his face, knocking him into a dark alley. He fell back, hitting a bunch of trashcans on his way to the ground. The pain was pretty bad, since he had fallen on a broken beer bottle. It had cut into his arm, leaving a massive cut. He turned around and he realized he was right. Ever since he left the park, Marth felt like he was not only being watched by someone but being followed. But he didn't pay much heed to his conscience. This was the result.

He looked up to see Falcon and Ganondorf supposedly one of Samus' bodyguards standing over him. He tried to get up, but Ganondorf took his large boot and brought it down hard on Marth's back. He knocked Marth back down, damaging his shirt in the process. His white collared shirt was ruined. There were tears in his shirt and blood all over the clothing.

"You really love stalking me don't cha?" Marth choked out. He started coughing up blood from his blow to his face. He got on all fours like an injured wolf, only to be kicked in the stomach by Falcon.

"And you love disobeying me! What did I tell you about talking to my sister? That last thing she needs is you in her life pretty boy! Don't know how many times I have to tell you." Falcon spat.

Ganondorf spat on the fallen Marth. " He just won't listen Falcon! He's nothing but a hardheaded fool!"

Marth chuckled. "You're the fool. I should tell Samus about this. Her bodyguard and beloved brother beating up a friend of hers."

"A friend! Don't make me laugh!" Falcon smirked. "Samus couldn't give a care about you. Why would she turn me in? I'm her brother!"

"True. And yet she shows more love towards me than you." Marth panted trying to catch his breath. He knew he couldn't fight the two of them. Witty comments were the only thing he could retort back with. Brains were always better than brawn "Face it, if Samus had to take one of us with her on a survival expedition, she'd pick me over you. She wouldn't pick a backstabbing jerk, with their mind only on know you don't care for Sam anyway. Just because of her famous singing. If Samus wasn't famous, you'd disown her and probably sell her body to a man for your own personal gain!"

Falcon's anger boiled over. "That's it!" He urged Ganondorf to get Marth off the ground. "My personal life is nothing you need to talk about!" He punched Marth again, as soon as he was on his feet. "Samus doesn't need to know about my deep hatred for bastards like you! In fact, she doesn't need to see your face anymore!"

Ganondorf smirked. "What are you suggesting Falcon?"

Falcon glared evilly at Marth who was giving him the same exact evil stare. "I'm suggesting we make sure Lowell learns his lesson. We'll make sure he never sees Samus again."

Ganondorf clocked Marth hard on the head and he fell to the ground again. It didn't stop there. He heard Ganondorf pick up a trashcan and start ramming him hard on his side with the item. Marth felt excruciating pain as Falcon brought some kind of pole like weapon down on his chest over and over again. It was brutally painful and Marth let out cries of pain but it was like no one could hear him. Probably how Falcon had planned it. Through the pain, Marth couldn't help but think about his friends, family, and Samus. Would he see any of them ever again? All he could do was shut his eyes and try to silence out all the noises of his body being damaged.

**The Next Day**

_Do you see my hands they tremble  
Wonder why I can't look you in the eye  
Don't know how long I can keep this inside  
Isn't it obvious?_

_That I don't know what I'm doing anymore  
I'm feeling like a little girl  
Caught up in emotions, I'm out of control  
Isn't it obvious?_

_Suddenly these emotions are in control of my heart  
Can you see it in my eyes  
Every glance, every smile must give me away  
And I feel so much I can't hide._

_That I don't know what I'm doing anymore  
I'm feeling like a little girl  
Caught up in emotions, I'm out of control  
Isn't it obvious?_

Samus sighed playing the last chord on her piano. Her singing voice was not at it's best game in the morning. She had never felt so lost in her life. It was weird how this song was voicing out exactly how she was feeling. She only received an hour of sleep last night and dedicated the other hours to thinking about the walk last night. Marth was waiting for an answer to what that kiss meant to her? But she was at a lost? She really couldn't identify it. Did it make her sad? Angry? Happy? She was just stuck on an island, never to find a boat, because she couldn't answer such a simple question. Well, at least it sounded simple.

But then she had the option to not respond back Marth. She could forget all about it. Samus glanced over at the door rack. On one of the hooks was Marth's blazer he had lent to her last night. She had to give it back to him, and if she did, he would be expecting an answer. Or he might think she didn't care about him. But she still did right? But in what way? _Could that possibly be what he meant by that question? When we kissed, did it make me want to still not be friends with him or did I want to get back with him? That must be what he was truly questioning me about. And yet, I still don't have the answer. The kiss happened so quick I can't tell if I wanted him to not stop or tell him to get away from me. _Samus ruffled her hair. _This is so baffling!_

She opened the door to her room for the first time that morning and walked into the room. Halfway down the hallway, she heard the door open. Instantly she heard very dramatic sobbing.

"Oh Lydia!"

"Hmm?" Samus hurried her pace into the main area of her home. She spotted a woman with very familiar raven colored hair and large dark blue eyes. It was Marth's mother. She had her arms wrapped her own mother who was now patting her on the back and was slightly wondering what was going on.

Mrs. Aran released herself from her grasp. "Sonia what's wrong?"

"M-my b-baby…he didn't come back home!" Sonia cried. " I waited all night! Marth's missing, Lydia!" She started sobbing uncontrollably. "I can't stand it. I want my son!"

Lydia's eyes widened. "Oh my!" She hugged Sonia tightly. "Oh my goodness! I am so sorry Sonia! Did you call the police?"

"I did hours ago. They…they still can't find a trace of him!" Her voice was muffled against Samus' mother's body. "If they don't find him! I don't know what I'll do!"

Mrs. Aran continued to rub the sobbing mother's back with care. She looked back at Samus, giving her a look. But Samus wasn't really paying attention to her eyes. She was now off in her own thoughts. Marth. She had just seen him yesterday. They were talking. They had argued and he had tried to leave. Samus had stopped him, holding him to make sure he wouldn't go. He kissed her and then…he left out of the park. That was the last time she talked to him. There wasn't a phone call from him or anything. He was gone.

Marth was missing.

**End Of Chapter**

* * *

**_A/N: _**_Oh dear it's a cliff hanger! I love these things. I'm only doing it because it's been a long time since the last one. I guess Falcon wasn't as nice as Peach had assumed. But will she ever find out on her own or the hard way. Only I know the answer to that. Anyway please read and review and I will definitely appreciate you. Don't be a Ghost Reader or reviewer. Basically if you liked it, I'd really love to know your opinion on it. _

_Also... Special shout out to **BabyGurl278** celebrating her two years on this site tomorrow same day as my cuz's birthday! She's an amazing writer and you must check her out. Oh also to **Polska **and **KuroNeko1492**! It's been a long time since I've heard from you guys! Hope you can stay even longer and write again!_

_Okay, I'm going to enjoy the rest of my b-day! Later!_

**_Royal Kenya_**


	11. Chapter Ten

_Hi guys. I'm sorry this took so long. I've been really busy with school. I know i promised an update in may. But it's June. XD. But the bright side is I'm out of school and I graduated high school with flying colors. So now I'm preparing to move and go to college! But not for a long while cuz school won't start for me until a while. Anyway, I left you guys hanging on that cliffie for a long time huh? Sorry! I'll never do it again! Um...but i'm so happy! You guys helped me reach 100 reviews and over! I love you all so much! You're reviews are always so great to read and that's why i like to get them. It's great to see your personalities pop out of them. Anyway here's the next chapter and please point out any error you see okay? Still a perfectionist to this day! Thanks again for making this amount of reviews happen!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

"Now…Relax your legs into absolute calm. Then bend your body, ever so lightly gripping your toes." Madame Leona instructed.

Zelda sighed as she bent over into a relaxing bend. She felt the twitching pain she felt in her spine as she bent over. But it was normal. It was actually a sign; you were doing the stretch correctly. But these things came easily to Zelda, being just a great dancer and because she was double-jointed it was 2x's easier. Zelda closed her eyes and aggravation mentally complaining to herself.

_Are we going to learn anything else besides the same stretches? I mean we waste all our time doing these dumb things till we all get it right together as a team. It would be just easier to drop the weak from the elite. _She raised her head and gazed around the room. Out of the four of them, only three of them were able to perform it accurately. Zelda noticed Saria had done it with ease and Krystal was struggling but at least she accomplished it.

"Man…"

Zelda slanted her eyes over to the other dancer. Malon Romania was straining to touch her toes. The girl always looked a little disproportioned to Zelda and maybe that was the reason why the stretch was too difficult for her.

Madame Leona walked over to Malon and sighed heavily. "Miss Romania. As it has appeared Fridaynand as for the day before that, this stretch has become too difficult for you to grasp. Did I make a mistake by putting you in this class?"

Malon blushed at that thought. "Um…maybe?" she answered softly. She looked as if she was on the verge of crying. Saria and Krystal glanced at her with sympathy.

"No. That's not the correct answer, Miss Romania. You see everyone is put in here for a specific purpose to this class. I seem to notice that everyone seems to feel a tad bit self-conscious while in this class." The lanky, string bean teacher stood and walked towards the center of the room. "All of us except Miss Harkinian."

Zelda smiled in confidence, as Madame Leona praised her, receiving a glare from Saria.

"Yes, Zelda may be great." Saria said aloud to get Zelda's attention. "But it's also important that are heads aren't filled with too much hot air right?"

"Saria…" Krystal muttered, in a scolding mode. Malon giggled to herself as Zelda glared at her and Saria. Krystal felt like she was the only one, trying to make Zelda welcome. But so far, she wasn't winning the battle as long as Saria had her satirical comments.

"True. We all have moments where we feel better than others. But we also shouldn't turn into ninnies who bicker in cat fights should we?" Madame Leona was smart enough to figure out Saria's shot at Zelda. Saria lowered her head, in shame. "Girls, we cannot have any weak chains in this class. We're all a team working for the same goal. Now… let's practice some of those jettés huh?"

Zelda stood up with the other girls right in front of her. They quietly lined up one by one right behind their teacher. Leona did a couple hand stretches before clearing her throat. "Ahem…okay then. The art behind this move is to feel as if you're floating across the stage like a bird. Ascending to the moon and the stars, and then falling to the field of flowers."

Zelda watched as Madame Leona, gracefully did her jette across the floor. _It was all right I guess. But she could've landed with a bit more beauty. It was very flat. _Zelda thought to herself as she saw Saria ready herself into position. Zelda felt a scowl come to her face again. _Why is it when I look at her…it makes me so angry? I mean besides the obvious reasons of her jealousy over me? _Zelda stared at her longer, and in her mind Saria started to change. She started to grow a lot taller, over Zelda's height. Her eyes grew a bit bigger in size and her green hair grew out really long and suddenly changed to a bright blonde. In a second, Zelda was staring at her own sister Peach.

That was why.

Saria's bitterness reminded her of how Peach had treated her the other day. Zelda had yet to forget her older sister for her vileness that time. It was as if Peach was just spitting fire at her, burning her to a crisp. To claim she wasn't going to be a member of the family anymore? Was she crazy? But Zelda didn't know why Peach's attitude offended her that other day. It was just as if she was her normal self. Peach was never one to take a negative comment and let it slide. She would say something equally mean or 10x's more mean. Zelda had watched her sister teach the girls at their private school a lesson in talking about her behind her back. Zelda had to admit it was funny sometimes to see Peach scare those girls right out of the school system.

Zelda looked at her classmates. Malon and Saria had gone already and by the looks of it, Malon seemed to have fallen again. Seeing she was rubbing her rear-end in pain. _Simple amateur. Why am I stuck with these people? _Krystal was preparing herself for her turn as Madame Leona was showing Malon how to do the jump correctly, even if she was doing it sloppily herself.

Krystal returned after finishing her jump and glanced back at Zelda. "Guess this jump isn't as easy as it seems." She said while their teacher was still instructing the other too.

"It's not difficult at all. I learned this in my younger years. What is so difficult about landing a plain old grand jetté? There has got to be a better dance class around here?"

"Zelda. You have to have a little patience with us. We weren't all so fortunate to get the best dance teachers as you in our days. It's pretty difficult," Krystal explained. "We had to work very hard to get this far."

"Well adding up all twenty-one of your years, I thought maybe you'd have to the hang of it by now. But I guess I have misjudged the middle class again. You guys really did have a mediocre life didn't you?" Zelda replied as Krystal stared in shock.

"Maybe you should teach the class. Since you're oh so educated in the arts. Maybe then we can all be as great as you." Krystal said as she turned around, but Zelda didn't really listen to her at all.

"Miss Tamari, that was excellent. You're on your way." Zelda looked over to see Madame Leona was congratulating her on her jump. "Alright Miss Harkinian it is your turn."

"Finally." Zelda murmured as she got herself into position. She raised her hands into a ready position for a stretch. Rolling her arms around in a 360-degree circle, a double jointed ability. She pushed her loose strands of blonde hair behind her ears. She started off skipping in a graceful pace and then a bit faster and then pressed her weight gracefully into the air as graceful as a gliding dove. She shot her hands up into an elegant pose, as a sign of freedom and control as she was at the locus point of her jump. She then landed in absolute grace onto the ground. But she also added a small little landing pirouette at the end with small pose for an ending.

"Ooh!" the noise escaped from Malon and Krystal's lips. While a groan escaped Saria and Madame Leona smiled brilliantly.

"That was just marvelous Miss Harkinian! It's easy to figure out you will not have any trouble in the ballet course. That was just perfect!"

"Hmm…" Zelda smirked, as she took her praise in once again. "I know. It was brilliant wasn't it?" she said as-a-matter-of-factly. "What is it that I can't do?"

"Yes. I'm curious to know the answer to that question myself." A male voice popped in the conversation.

Zelda turned to the door, hoping she wasn't correct in who the occupant of the voice was. She felt her nose wrinkle realizing she was correct. Zelda sighed, mentally preparing herself for her soon to come headache. She took another deep breath and glared at the individual. "Gaiden…what are you doing here?"

Link Gaiden simply chuckled as he grinned even wider. "Well…I came here for the only thing you do in a dance studio. I've come to dance."

**Modeling Studio**

Peach clutched her portfolio to her chest. She couldn't stop herself from smiling as she stared at the door before her.

**Model Studio 217  
Mannequin Beauty Studio  
(Where Mannequins Come To Life)  
Modeling Coach/Director: Jim Stevenson**

Peach bit her tongue to keep herself from squealing. This was one of her more prouder moments. She never expected to be actually doing this. Peach was so excited she didn't even have room for nervous emotions. _Okay girl. You're finally here. Your first step to stardom. Let's make it happen. _She opened the door and a light blinded her right away. She closed her eyes for bit and then slowly opened them again. The sight was amazing

There were models everywhere, walking around the room. It appeared that Gem took models of every ethnic group, which was a plus in Peach's eyes. Some of the models were like walking skyscrapers and some were strutting flagpoles and others had the two combined traits. Peach found herself imagining if they could even fit in the doorways of their house or did they bump their heads on everything.

She wanted to laugh, but she placed a hand over her mouth. _Remember, Peach. Mature is what you're going for. Don't want the boss to think you're too much of a dumb blonde._ She glanced around looking for some sign of the boss but no luck. She kept running into photographers and models. Deciding that she was no longer getting anywhere, she walked over to the nearest model.

"Hi." Peach called, getting the model's attention. The woman stood towering a good amount of inches over her. Peach's jaw almost dropped, but she successfully contained her astonishment. "Um…so I'm looking Jim Stevenson. You see I'm Peach Toadstool one of his new models and he told me I have to meet in his office. But being new and this being a big place…"

The blonde held up her hand. "You talk too much for a mannequin," she said in an annoyed tone. "Go to the left, keep going to you see a giant panorama picture of Tyra Banks and some other models and there will be his room. Not hard to miss."

"Oh thanks. Sorry to bother you, I guess you're pretty busy before your next shoot and…"

"Still too many syllables. You really are a rookie." The girl replied. "Jeez…"

Peach, not one to take rude attitudes, prepared herself for a rude comment back, but was stopped by a hand. She looked to see a chestnut haired colored girl coming to her aid. "Give her a break, Ging. You were new once and man were you a chatterbox."

Ginger rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She walked off, slightly shoving into the girl as she walked by them.

"Walking toothpick." Peach muttered.

The brunette laughed. "Nice. Couldn't have put it better myself, Rookie." She smiled at Peach. "So you looking for the boss huh?"

"Yes. Kinda lost. Think you can spare some time to help a little ole rookie like me?" Peach asked the girl.

"Eh…gotta few minutes. I could take ya." The girl held out her hand. "Name's Daisy Marigold. Crowned jewel of this modeling company. Well not exactly, but wait n' see. And you're name is…" She took Peach's portfolio from her hand. "Peach Toadstool. What a relief. I thought your name would have to be changed."

"Changed? What do you mean?" Peach asked, as Daisy led her down to the boss' room. "Does he hate some names or something?"

"You could say that. Jim's not a big fan of common names like Sue, Beth, Carrie, Diana, and the rest of the litter. He likes names like, Cinnamon, Sugar, Chili, Candy, Kitten…you get the drift."

"So he likes hooker names?" Peach guessed.

"Yeah. Never thought about putting it that way before. They are pretty "hookerish" huh? Yeah sounds like something ole Jim would do." Daisy explained. "Anyway, yeah Jim is always changing the names of girls he doesn't like. But I think he'll love your name. It's adorable and cute like the name, Kitten."

"So did he have to change your name at all? Like were you a Josephine or something?" Peach asked as she saw the giant panorama of models come into view.

"Nope. Born with the name "Daisy". That's me. Daisy Rosemary Marigold. Can you imagine your folks ever giving you such a name? I mean, how's anyone supposed to take you seriously with a name like that? But they said all their life they were hoping for a girl so they could try out all these little flower names."

"Well, it's cute." Peach answered. Daisy raised her eyebrow at the blonde. Peach felt a chuckle escape her throat. "Okay I'll admit it's a tad bit weird."

"Dang straight." Daisy commented. "Seriously though. What is it with these parents? I swear on my nail polish and mascara collection I will never give any of my children ridiculous names." Daisy stopped right before they reached the picture of the models. "This is it! The head honcho's office. Want a bit of company to handle the man?"

"I think I can take it from here. Nice meeting you, Miss Marigold." Peach joked as she opened the door to the office.

"Gurl, don't even joke around. Or else you'll be finding yourself meeting the other side of my fist." Daisy gestured her fist in the air. She gave Peach one last smile. "I'll try to catch up with you later."

"K. Till then." Peach walked into the office feeling better that she had already made a possible friend at the agency. She peered inside the room and was blinded by all the white in the room. To be more specific the whole room was painted white and everything inside was white along with it. The furniture like the desk, chairs, and couches were white. Peach suddenly felt really out of place. Sitting in the center of the room, was a man who looked about in his late 30's sitting down in a comfortable white fuzzy chair. He had black hair slicked back with gel, and a very handsome looking goatee and slick mustache neatly nurtured. He unlike the room was dressed in a black button up, but the buttons stopped right at his chest, so it was showing off his manly body.

Overall he was a handsome guy in Peach's opinion. She cleared her throat as she readied herself to speak. "Excuse me, um…are you Jim Stevenson?"

The man looked up at Peach, with a wild look in his eye partially scaring her. "Jim? Jim!" He suddenly banged his fist on his table knocking over his coffee on his desk to the ground. "Darling! Eet's not Jim! Eet's Gem!" He looked down at the ground seeing the coffee he spilled start to stain the white carpet. He sighed and pressed a button on a phone that was right next to him. "Chyna! Come up here with some "Shout!" to clean up zis' coffee stain een' 1 minute or else eet's your job!"

Mr. Stevenson looked at Peach. "Now…who are you? Gem ees' not good with zee faces."

"Hi! I'm Peach Toadstool. The new recruit you talked to last Saturday on the phone about hiring me to be one of your new models. I just want you to know I really am excited to be here and I'll work really hard and…"

"ZEEP!" Gem answered "Too 'veny syllables for a mannequin! Gem will have to fix zat." He stood up walking over his spill and sped walk all the way up to Peach's face, slightly intimidating her. His dark green eyes peered into Peach's blue orbs. He stared only for a couple of seconds. "Ah…you are a girl of rare beauty. Turn for Gem please."

"Uh…" Peach slowly spun around but was stopped when Jim grabbed her long blonde hair holding her hand. To Peach surprise he suddenly was caressing the blonde hair and nuzzling it to his face. "Mm-hmm. Little flat, but can be worked with. Turn again."

This time Peach was facing her back against him. Then all of a sudden she felt him push her back down so far she was bending over almost in a perfect "L" Then she felt a very uncomfortable feeling. She didn't want to believe it, but he was doing it. He was actually touched her rear, for a light second but he did touch. He most likely knew about the suits he would get for sexual harassment and tried to touch her as little as possible.

"Good . You shall be wearing minis, midriffs, bikinis, and anything else to show your hourglass figure. You're perfect for 'eet. I don't get as many dames as you." He stood back and let Peach rise up straight again. "So you're Peach. I don't zink I will have to change your name. 'Eet's perfect for now. You start today."

"Today?" Before Peach could say another word, a girl with red hair jogged into the room with a cleaner in her hand. Peach moved aside to let who she assumed to be Chyna drop to the floor to clean up the coffee.

"Five seconds to spare. You're slacking." Gem replied. He stepped over her and looked at Peach again. "Yes. Today you start. I have 'veen looking for something new and fresh to put on my cover of zis' magazine coming out 'een a week for September. You're perfect for it!"

"Oh…I guess if you believe I am I could…"

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Gem cut her odd once again. "Too veny syllables. Just say yes or no. Be a mannequin of few words. Gem hates too wordy mannequins."

"Right." Peach said, remembering what people had been telling her since she got here. "Yes. It is done."

"Perfect. Chyna! Take her to hair n' make-up. Zis' magazine will be printed out tomorrow. Go now. Gem needs to be alone."

It was then Peach realized her new boss sure liked to talk in the third-person a lot. Chyna grabbed her arm quickly and dragged her out of the room for Peach to being her first photoshoot. Things were weird in the Mannequin studio, but no matter what, Peach knew she was still going to rock it.

**Recording Studio**

"Okay we're rolling in… two…three…four!"

The music slurred up in Samus' ears. The upbeat 60's type music played, making her bounce with the music. But she still felt a little moody. She felt a hand come to her shoulder. She looked to see her mother smiling at her with a thumbs-up. Earphones were resting in her ears, the same Samus contained in her own. Today was the day she and her mother were recording some duets together. It was for a teenager's party CD and she wanted her mother to sing all her favorite songs on it.

The intro began as the two opened their mouths to let their beautiful singing flow.

_Ooh!…Yeah!  
__You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life (ooh)  
__See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen_

Samus stood back as her mother took on the first verse, and she was going to enter again at the chorus.

_Friday night and the lights are low  
__Looking out for the place to go  
__Where they play the right music, getting in the swing  
__You come in to look for a king  
__Anybody could be that guy  
__Night is young and the music's high  
__With a bit of rock music, everything is fine  
__You're in the mood for a dance  
__And when you get the chance…_

_You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen  
__Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine (oh yeah)  
__You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life (ooh)  
__See that girl, watch that scene dig in the dancing queen_

Samus took a deep breath. It was her turn:

_You're a tease, you turn'em on  
__Leave them burning and then you're gone  
__Looking out for another, anyone will do  
__You're in the mood for a dance  
__And when you get the chance…_

_You are the…_

"Stop! Stop! Cut the music!" Mr. Aran stopped the music in the recording studio.

Samus removed the headphones from her ears as her father entered the recording room. Her father marched directly up to her and she knew the exact reason why. She sighed. "I know, Dad."

"Samus! You went sharp again! First time it was flat, then it was sharp! Now it's sharp again! What is the matter with you? You nailed it all the other times and…"

"I said I know already!" Samus snapped. "I'm sorry, okay! I'm just having a bad day!"

"That's no excuse! You're mother is sick and she's doing just fine! How can you call yourself a singer if you…"

"Look! I'm not my mom okay! Get off my case!" Samus found herself yelling at her father. "It's not as easy as you think! I have things on my mind." She muttered.

Mr. Aran glared at his daughter. "You're keeping us behind, Sam! At this rate we're never going to finish that CD!"

"Why don't I finish that last song Darren?" Mrs. Aran piped in, sensing an argument. "It doesn't have to be a duet. I think I can manage on my own! We don't need to argue about it don't you think? I feel bad about dragging Samus here to work on it anyway."

Mr. Aran glanced from his wife to his daughter. After a long stare down he sighed and stood back. "Fine. Whatever. Take five, everybody! And lose the attitude, young lady!" Mr. Aran scolded his daughter.

"I'll lose it as soon as you lose yours!" Samus retorted. But the last few words didn't get out since her mother grabbed her shoulders and turned her away from her father. She placed a hand in her daughter's hair. She smiled at her, trying to calm Samus down. "How about we take that break outside?"

* * *

"Sammie what's bugging you? I've never seen you so out of it." Lydia Aran asked as she and her daughter relaxed themselves at the table they were sitting at. The recording studio was right across from the school Samus attended. The studio was on the top floor, able to see almost all of the surrounding buildings. It had a perfect view of the sky, and it really seemed to be as high as the clouds.

Samus propped her elbows on the table, resting her head in one of her hands. "I don't know. Just a little tired and I guess…just indifferent."

"Worried about Marth aren't you?" Mrs. Aran asked softly.

Samus looked at her mother. There was no point in trying to hide her feelings about Marth anymore from her mom. She could read her like a book. She nodded, as she stared into her mother's shimmering green eyes. "I never thought, Marth would give me these feelings again. I mean as a friend, I'm very worried about him."

"A friend huh?" Mrs. Aran smirked at her daughter. "I assumed that date went a lot better than you thought it would, if you're saying that. I'm quite interested in knowing what happened."

"It wasn't a date! But…" Samus went into deep detail about what happened on their little meeting. She didn't leave out even the smallest little occurrence. Samus felt relieved that she could trust her mother enough to tell her secrets. Being a mother she was able to understand and possibly even give some advice. Samus started to reach the end of her day. "Then he kissed me. But it wasn't an inviting kiss, but just a small little peck on the lips. Like a little boy and girl kissing for the first time. I was quite confused but he said that was how I supposed to feel."

"Then he asked me what that kiss meant to me. And I was like, how am I supposed to answer that question? The kiss was so quick that I didn't have any time to react. Anyway he left after that and I never saw him again. And then this happens. He disappears without a trace."

"Yes. And nothing has changed. Sonia is in absolute shambles. She won't even go to work she's so depressed. She's preparing Marth's favorite foods over and over again. Poor gal." Mrs. Aran said softly. "But back to that kiss. Even if it was for a brief moment, how did you feel after you were kissed?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out these past two days. Like I told you, it was a short kiss and I barely had anytime to react. Was he always this complicated?" Samus tried to remember little remnants from her past years with Marth. "Anyway, I guess it won't matter if he's missing. Who knows if he'll be found."

"Try not to think that way, Sammie. He'll be found sooner or later. He doesn't have any enemies or anything does he?" Her mother asked her.

"I don't think so. I mean, everyone gets along well with Marth. Always saying nice things about him. I mean everyone except Dad and.."

"What's up everyone?" Douglas Falcon entered the patio top floor with a grin on his face. He was dressed in his racer uniform. "Anyone want to know what spectacular thing I did today? Clobbered another group of racers in the mini prix. I'm unbeatable."

"That's great hon." Lydia Aran clapped her hands together. "You have been working hard. Even though you've been pretty nerve wracked about racing these past few days."

"I don't know. I just felt really great today. As you know, job's going great, finally met myself a fine lookin' gal."

Samus rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe someone like Peach Harkinian would agree to go out on a date with you."

"What are you talking about? Her last name's Toadstool."

"What's hard to believe? I'm a very attractive guy with an an attractive personality to match. Man, but that girl Peach...wow...she has it all." Falcon sighed to himself. "And I thought the best news was when Marth went missing."

Samus glared at him. "How could you say that? Something could've happened to him. He could be hurt or…I don't know." She didn't even want to think of finding Marth dead somewhere.

"Why do you care? You claim you don't like the guy and then whenever I say something about him you get all defensive. If the idiot's gone, let him stay missing. That's all I got to say. I gotta go." Falcon suddenly feeling unwanted, jogged back down the stairs.

"Well, I thought maybe he'd like to talk for a while. Oh well." Mrs. Aran stated. "But I guess it can't be helped. He's probably tired and…"

"Mom." Samus said softly. "Dad nor Falcon, like Marth at all. Do you think one of them could have…hurt him?"

Mrs. Aran gasped. "Samus. That's quite an accusation. I know there has always been a grudge between your Father and Carter, but I don't think it would go so far that he would try and hurt Carter's own son. He had nothing to do with it."

"But you heard Dad that one day. He said he didn't want me to ever go out with him ever again. He seemed serious about it. What if he saw me that day with Marth and then…" Samus placed her hands to her face. "Then it would've been my fault. For calling him back and suggesting that whole idea of meeting. I'd be responsible."

"Sammie." Lydia placed a consoling hand on her daughter. "Please don't think like that ever again. I'm hoping our family has more sense then to do something as foolish as that. It would be just…"

_**BEEP BEEP BEEP**_

"Hold on hon." Samus watched as her mother picked up her cell phone. "Hello? Hey Sonia! So how has the search been going…still nothing." Samus' mother saw the disappointed look on Samus' face. "…I see…but don't give up…wait what…Oh!" Mrs. Aran's face turned pale. "Sonia…I'm so…no let's not get rash…Sonia…Sonia!" She pulled the phone away from her hand. She abruptly stood up. "She hung up. I gotta ru,n Samus. I'll talk more about this later."

"Mom what happened!" Samus jumped up and grabbed her mother's arm. "Is Mrs. Lowell okay? What happened?"

"Not better at all. I need to go to see her." She looked at her daughter. She sighed. "Samus. The police haven't found Marth yet, but…they did find something of his. He was wearing a white collared shirt right?"

Samus thought back to that night when Marth slid his blazer over her shoulders. Even though she was feeling a little embarrassed at that moment, she could remember that shirt. "Yeah he was. I'm positive."

"Oh…I was hoping he wasn't. Well…in an alleyway they found the shirt. But…it was slashed and covered in blood splotches and they found some things surrounding the shirt also carrying blood. They don't know what's going on." Mrs. Aran felt a knot in her own stomach. "But his mother is losing it again, and I'm going to have to see her. Take care of dinner for me okay?"

Without another word, she took off.

Samus watched her mom for only a second before Marth appeared in her head again. That sweet smile. Absolutely handsome face. Overall one of the greatest guys Samus had ever met in her life. How could someone even think about hurting him? Why would they want to? Samus hugged her knees against her chest as she sat down in her chair again. _I just don't understand it. He's done nothing. He doesn't deserve things like this. Who would do such a thing? Marth I wish you could tell me who would hate you so much. _She rested her head in her folded arms. _Where are you?_

**Dancing Studio**

Zelda stared at Link. Maybe her hearing was going out. "You...You're here for _what_?"

"You heard me. I'm here to dance with the best girl dancers." Link replied. Behind him was his younger brother Young Link. But right behind him were other male dancers. Link was dressed in gray sweats, a black sleeveless muscle shirt, and some comfortable black shoes.

"He's right, Miss Harkinian. I moved the combined dances to Monday now. Recent things have occurred and there had to be a slight change in the schedule. But I will fill you all in about that in a few weeks or so." Madame Leona explained. "So our combined dances will start now in the last hour of our practice. After a short break, ten minutes tops."

Zelda stared at Link, while the other girls went up there to talk to him. _No way. This can't be true. I mean look at him. He's a plain nobody. What skills could he possibly hold in dancing? He's just a little goofball. It's impossible! _She found herself storming over to Link.

Link seeing her come right away towards him, met her halfway. He stopped as soon as she stopped at a comfortable distance. "Is there something I can help you with, Zellie?"

"First off, I told you to stop calling me that! Second, you must be pulling my leg. How can you possibly possess any dancing abilities?" Zelda asked with crossed arms. " I mean you're… you're YOU!" She pointed out, unsure of what to say.

Link chuckled. "Yes I am me. And I'm afraid that's all I can be. But as me, I have a special ability. That special ability is being a dancing king," he rhymed.

Saria laughed at Link rhyming. But she still felt bitter that Link was once again giving Zelda more attention than her. It was still a big ponder to Saria about why Link even gave Zelda the time of day. Especially when she was practically offering herself to him.

Zelda laughed. "I don't believe you. There is absolutely no way." She challenged him. "A nimrod like you dancing. I don't believe you."

"Alright then. How about a little challenge then?" Link asked her. "My dancing against yours. You're good at Samba dancing right?"

"I'm good at everything," Zelda answered. "Name it, I'll do it with a smile." She brushed down her black leotard. "I already told you, I'm not one who hasn't been a pro at any type of dancing."

Link nodded. "Sure. But we'll see if that's true later. Right now, I feel like challenging you to a little something we both know. So…" Without much thought he grabbed Saria's hand spun her around and then led her to his side. Saria was blushing madly, yet excited at the same time. "Grab yourself a dance partner. Might I suggest Antonio? He's the best besides me."

Zelda turned and saw a black haired man raise his hand. He looked to be about the same age as Zelda. "Okay then." She gave her hand out to Antonio as he led her to his side. "Sounds alright with me."

"I'll go start the music." Link took off to start the music, but Young Link grabbed his hand. He sighed and looked down at his little brother. "What is it?"

"Are we going to be here long?" Young Link whined. "I want to go home right now! I've been at your practices ever since I got out of school."

"We'll go home at six. Go sit over by Krystal and do your homework or something. By the time you're done, it'll be time to go." Link gave his brother a little shove over to Krystal as she held out her hand to lead him over to one of the sidewalls. Malon followed after the two but not without giving Saria a thumbs-up for getting to dance with Link. Link went to the boom box and slipped in a CD that just so happened to be by the player. It was only a few seconds before a fast upbeat Samba song came on the player. "Yeah…" Link said excitedly as he felt the rhythm in his feet. "Love this song."

Zelda rolled her eyes, as she grabbed both of Antonio's hands. "Yeah, well let's just hope you don't get sucked into the music too badly. Wouldn't want you to lose too much pride after getting beat by me." She replied sarcastically. She already started to rapidly get into the music and surprisingly Antonio was able to keep up.

"Heh…we'll see!" Link swiftly grabbed Saria, and just as quickly as Zelda, got into the music. "Let's rock this, Saria!"

"You know it!" Saria was not about to let Link down. She was going to show she was as good and even better dancer than Zelda Harkinian. It was her dream to make Zelda realize she was not special just because of her reign. She was going to shine more than the Harkinian ever would.

Zelda relaxed her arms for a bit as she rocked her hands and Antonio moved his hands to her waist, as she showed off her vicious body movements. She had the eye of every male dancer in an instant. Who could resist a slim, yet packed body like hers. She spun around in the small space she had in between his arms. Every little second though, she would check on Link.

As she suspected, Saria wasn't able to dance as good at her. But when she looked at Link, she saw what she didn't expect. Link was an excellent dancer. He was able to pick up where Saria lacked, so it didn't like she wasn't as bad as she truly was. At the moment, he had in a 720-degree spin while he did a small in between clap gesture of his own. Zelda would've stared a bit longer, but she didn't want to lose her own concentration.

Krystal stared in absolute awe. "This is just crazy. Link said he was a good dancer, but I never expected him to be this good. If I'm not mistaken," she stated as she looked back at both Link and Zelda. "They're practically equal. Your brother is great." Krystal looked down at Young Link.

He was clutching Pikachu in his hands, but it was more like he was squeezing him. Krystal could've sworn she saw an angered look on his face. "I know. But it's not a good thing. It'll only cause more bad things." He muttered the last part. But Krystal caught what he said.

"What do you mean?" Krystal asked.

"Huh?" Young Link's innocent boyish face appeared on his face again. He looked down at Pikachu who only snuggled against Young Link even harder. "I didn't say anything."

He stared back at the two girls and Link mainly with an emotionless stare. Krystal almost called him again, but was sucked back into the dancing. The song was coming to an end.

Antonio was starting to slack, but Zelda kept him moving so he wouldn't mess up her dancing. She had to keep up with Link, because he was trying to show her up. _If he thinks he's going to beat me at my own talent. He's out of his mind. _As the two of them started to finish the song with dips and more carries, the song came to and end. At the end, all four dancers were out of breath.

Link once he was able to breathe normally, turned to Zelda. "So Zelda. Impressed or not?"

Zelda knew without a doubt she was astonished by his dancing skills. But she would rather be nailed to the dance floor than admit it. "Ha… your dance moves? They're okay. I mean for a guy anyway."

"Really?" Link said with an arched eyebrow. "I thought I was actually keeping up with your little dance moves. You're not jealous are ya?"

"Me? Jealous of you?" Zelda laughed. "I think that's the best joke you've made all day. You're inferior compared to me. Just accept it!"

"What are you talking about?" Saria said with hands on her hips, cutting Link off from whatever he was going to say next. "We were WAY better than that giggly-hopping dancing you call Samba."

"Look, you little frog legged dancer. Don't ever insult my dancing, until you're at least at my level. You don't even have the right to speak after a performance like that!" Zelda retorted. "You looked like an injured wolf in a bear trap."

"You sorry little…" Malon stopped Saria, from practically lunging at Zelda and pulling her blonde hair out. Malon glared at Zelda. "It's not worth it, Saria. That bleached little prit, doesn't know what she's talking about."

"And you. You're the last person to be talking! You're the reason we haven't gone any further in this class. You're the weak link. You're the only person that makes Saria look even slightly good!" Zelda said with balled up fists.

"I've had it with your arrogance. You think you're so great! But greatness is nothing without anyone having your back!" Saria snapped, jumping back in the line of fire in front of Malon.

Krystal looked at her dance mates taking snaps back at each other. Link looked over at her, asking what he should do. But Krystal simply shrugged. She had no idea what to do when things got as heated as they were. But she stood up, realizing she had to say something to them.

Krystal stood up and walked over to her mates. "That's why we should have each other's backs. We're a team, no matter how great we are at dancing."

"Who asked you?" all three girls snapped.

Krystal backed up. Link stood in front of her defensively. "Hey! She's only trying to…"

"No. Link, I have this under control," Krystal said, as she got in front of him. "I have the right to say what I want." She glared at Zelda. "You know the real reason why we haven't gone far? No one is being supportive anymor. Especially you. I don't know what's up with your attitude but it's much worse than usual. If you're this great supreme you claim you are, why don't you use some of your greatness to help out the class?"

Before Zelda could respond, Krystal spun around to Malon and Saria. "Secondly, you two are only making everyone's bitterness worse. I don't know what kind of grudge you have against Zelda, but that's slowing us down too! We need teamwork or else this class is a big waste of time. Zelda _is_ the best dancer in the class right now and you need to accept it instead of trying to find ways to deny it. And Zelda, you need to deflate some of that hot air in your head. Then maybe…" Krystal looked at all three of them. "We can finally be on one accord."

"Exactly."

The four dancers, turned to see Madame Leona standing at the doorway with a defiant look on your face. "But it seems the only way we're going to get that unity is if we have discipline. So all four of you down on the ground, stomachs flat."

"Excuse me?" Zelda said with folded arms.

"Don't question me, Miss Harkinian. Down now!"

Zelda cowered at her authority like voice. She went down on her stomach joining the rest of class. She found she was right across from Saria who was sneering at her and Krystal who had an annoyed look on her face. Malon was diagonal from her and she didn't see her face but she was guessing she was glaring at her too. The she saw Link standing over by his little brother watching her through the corner of his eye. She couldn't read the expression on his face.

"On my count we'll do our push-ups together." Madame Leona saw the girls look up at her with disbelief. "I'm not kidding. I'm very disappointed on how I saw you girls act just now! It's shameful! Now…down…one! Down…two…Down…three…Count with me."

"Down..."

"Four…" Saria continued to glare at Zelda every time they came back up. She just couldn't stand her and she was definitely not finished with her just yet. No matter what punishment Saria was going to have to take, she was going to take Zelda down with her.

"Down…"

"Five…" Malon felt like crying. She already knew she was bad. She didn't need Zelda to tell her otherwise. She had support from Saria and Krystal but it just wasn't enough as long as Zelda was here. Why did she have to be put in this class?

"Down…"

"Six…" Krystal just felt so annoyed. Why was everyone like this? She hated showy people and at the same time she hated envious people. Everyone needed to be proud of what they have and not try to be so jealous. How long would it take Malon and Saria to learn that? And how long would it take for Zelda to cool off?

"Down…"

"Seven…" _Humiliating. Absolutely humiliating. Doing push-ups in a dance class. Where are we boot camp? But maybe we deserved it. When that Krystal said I had such a serious attitude, I felt it. I was very angry. But was it about Saria and Gaiden only. Maybe it was about Peach too. I can never forgive her for what she said to me. Hmm…Link Gaiden. He really was a good dancer. _Zelda glanced over there at Link who now laughing cheerfully with his little brother about something. She looked at him long and hard. He was just a normal guy. How could someone like him be so great at dancing? She thought she was the only one who was one of the best dancers in the world. But after seeing Link. He was almost like…her equal.

**End of Chapter**

* * *

_Sorry guys, that my chapter took so long to show. It was sort of a weird place to end I know but it was for the best. Well it seems the girls have a lot of work to do before they're a united dance class. And…what is going on with Young Link? Something mysterious. We'll find out eventually. And Link's a DANCER! WHAT A THRILLING TWIST! And Miss Peach will have her first photo shoot with the great "Gem" Stevenson. You'll find out how that will go along with some other things that will happen with Peach next chappie that you will find out later. And…Marth is still missing while Samus' heart starts to grow much bigger for him. What will happen next? Who knows, but I promise you that you're not going to wait a long time because this story is over a year old and it needs to be finished! Okay thank you for reading and please leave a review, because I really want to know your opinions instead of just finding it in your favorites. I'd really appreciate it. I'm working on the next chapter right now! _

_Later! Hopefully not too later!_

**_Royal Kenya_**


	12. Chapter Eleven

Yeah! So it's **Update Day!**Yes, this is seriously an update. Here's the deal peeps. I've realized I am way behind in this fic. Because there's still much to happen in this story. I kinda stalled it way too long. So...updates will be mucha faster now. Maybe even two times a week! Hee hee...we shall see. **(Advice to readers: Don't fall behind in the fic, cuz i fear when i do these fast updates and you miss them, you'll get left and then you'll have to read long chapter after long chapter.)** Thanks for your guys' reviews, I hope my chapter doesn't let you down! If you see a mistake, feel free to tell. Thanks to the people who tell me!

**WARNING: There is a part towards the beginning that's a teeny bit M-ish. But not really so bad. Sorry if it offends anybody.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

"_You already have a photo shoot? That's amazing."  
_

"Yeah, I know. I guess Jim…erm… "Gem" sees potential in me." Peach said softly. She squinted her eyes shut as the hair stylist continued to weave more hair into her own. Gem had said her long hair was beautiful but in this shot he wanted it much longer for this idea he had. He had yet to tell her what it was. But while she was sitting, Roy had called her cell phone.

"_Well do your best. Don't fall flat on your face or break the camera."_ Roy joked.

Peach lowered her eyes. "You know what I wish I could do? I wish I could be like those cartoons that can shove their hand in the receiver of their phone and strangle the other person on the other end of the line. You catch my drift?"

"_Yeah. Xena the warrior princess has awoken. Anyway, congrats on your luck. But I wanted to know if you would want to go out to eat to celebrate."_

"You mean with Link, Krystal, and everyone else?" Peach asked hopefully.

"_Actually I meant just you and me. That's not a problem is it? I thought maybe it would be okay. We used to do it before in the past. But we could invite the others if you want." _

Peach could tell by the tone is Roy's voice that he wasn't going to be too thrilled if she said yes to that idea. But he just didn't understand what kind of position he was putting her in. Peach was well aware of Roy liking her, but she wasn't sure if Roy thought she liked him too. It was that moment when they almost kissed that ruined everything. Now she couldn't even think about staying in a room with Roy alone anymore. But what could she do? She had bailed on him the last time. She made her decision. "Okay, you're on. Not too fancy, right?"

"_No way. You know me. I'm always broke. It will probably be some burger n' pizza joint. Hope that's okay with you."_

"Right. I should be done around 7:00. Swing around then, okay? I gotta go and I'll see you later."

"_Fine. Someone's on the other line anyway. Maybe it's Marth's mother with some news on Marth. The guy's disappearance is startin' to get to me."_

Peach had forgotten about Marth. She remembered when Roy had told her the news about him. When she saw Samus today at school, she really looked dejected. She wanted to say something, but decided now wouldn't be the best time for words. "Call me back if you hear anything." She hung up the phone and sighed. "Man oh man…"

"Who's that? Boyfriend of yours?" Peach's new friend Daisy had come into the room. She was dressed in a very beautiful evening gown. She barely recognized her under all the make-up. But it was definitely her, by the giveaway accent.

"No. Just a friend asking me out for a little celebration towards modeling. Nothing more than that." Peach explained.

"Oh yeah. Well if it isn't a boyfriend, it's a boy tryin' to be one. Aren't you just a lucky kitten?" Daisy said with a smile. She flopped down in the chair next to her where a hairstylist was waiting. "Get this hair out please. I feel like I'm wearin' a ton of horses. See if you can add it to Peach's long mane."

Peach giggled. "No thanks. I already have enough, to make my own little furry pet with. Plus, I don't think I can take much more waiting to put it all in."

Daisy nodded, as the stylist started to work with the hair. "Seriously though. My weave is itchin' up a storm. All this hair is so unnecessary. But whatever ole Jim says works, gotta deal with it."

"I see you call him Jim instead of "Gem" a lot."

"Well… where I come from, his name would be how it's spelled. Jim and not some jewel. But that's the way he rolls I guess. But…"

"Um…Peach Toadstool? Miss Toadstool?"

Peach looked to see a man walk into the room. He had a green baseball cap worn backwards on his head. He was dressed in some black jeans and a green T-Shirt with dog tags hanging from his pants pockets and neck. "Peach?"

Peach spoke up at her name. "Oh…that's me." The man walked over to where she was sitting. He had dark brown hair, with a slick mustache, and big blue eyes.

"Hello. I'm your photographer, Luigi Rigatoni." Luigi smiled, as he saw a smile creep to the blonde's face. "Feel free to laugh at the last name. I know it's a hoot! I will be your photographer today."

"Nice to meet you. You have any advice for a first timer like me?" Peach asked. The stylists had finally finished adding the hair and were now flat-ironing it into a type of style.

"Just remember to have fun. But at the same time, remember to take it seriously. Gem doesn't want to see anything that lacks in his shots," Luigi explained. "By the way. Daisy, your photos came out good. I think I captured your face beautifully."

"That's good to know. If my picture looked like I was a bump on a log, ole Jim would have my head. But I trust your photography, Luigi," Daisy said with a wink.

Luigi's nose turned red. "Thanks Daisy. Maybe we can go over the pictures when you're done in here." He started to back up towards the doorway. "Or I could email them to you."

Daisy nodded. "I'd be happy to go over them with ya. This shouldn't take too much longer than a tortoise vs. a hare race."

"Okay then. Then it's a date! No…I mean great! I mean…Ow!" Luigi hit the door hard on his nose when he turned around, receiving giggles from both Daisy and Peach. He laughed it off. "Heh heh...who put that there…I'll see you outside, Peach." He said as he sped out the door.

"Alright." Peach slyly looked over at Daisy. "I think you have yourself an admirer. And his name starts with an "L" and rhymes with rigatoni." She sang in a childish tone.

"I know and I'm flattered by it. Cuz I've takin' a likin' to him too. He's as adorable as kittens playing with yarn." Daisy had a simile phrase for everything.

"So why don't you ever ask him out?" Peach asked.

"Are you kidding? He's the guy. He's supposed to ask me out. Otherwise, I'll be the demanding girl of the relationship with a spineless jellyfish love pardner!" Daisy claimed. "Not a glamorous relationship in my opinion. If he really likes you, the male should be the one to ask you out."

"I guess." Peach answered.

"Alright Miss Peach. You're done." The multicolored hair stylist said to her. "Gem wants you on stage 11. He'll tell you what kind of photo shoot it is."

Peach stood up, feeling like tons of trucks were tying her down. The hair was touching the ground and was very thick. She didn't have her outfit yet, but apparently Gem was going to tell her when she got to the setting. She was actually eager to know what it was going to be? But…unfortunately she wasn't going to be happy when she figured out exactly what it was.

* * *

"Uh…you said a "nude" photo shoot?" Peach asked for the third time. She gripped onto her robe as tight as she could. Gem nodded once again. Peach gulped. They had not less than forty-five seconds ago told her the type of shot she was taking. _So that's why they only gave me a robe to wear. On my first day, I already got to strip down to nothing and take shots. Man…I wish I would have known this earlier._

" 'Eets not as bad as you zink. We take these photos of girls we zink have a perfect body for 'eet. Zat's you. Gem knows how to pick who can do 'eet," Gem explained.

Peach looked back at Daisy who had just joined her outside. Daisy gave her a sympathetic smile, thinking of nothing else to do. Peach then looked back at Gem. "Are you sure there isn't another shot I can do?"

"Peach. This 'ees the first step to conquering your biggest obstacles. You do zis' you can do any photo shoot. Gem has confidence 'een you."

"Well, Gem isn't about to take nude shots in the blistering cold," Peach retorted. They were outside in a grassy area in the field of the modeling agency.

"Gem could do zat', 'eef 'eet would make you feel much bett…"

Peach held her hand up. "No thank you. I just don't know…"

"Jim! Let me talk to her for a sec." Daisy suddenly piped up.

"Ah! 'Eets Gem! 'Eets Gem!" Gem shouted. He really got uptight when it came to his name.

"Right! Right! Gem!" Daisy said as she led Peach away from the group. "Girl, what's wrong with you? You obviously must have seen this coming sooner or later."

"Yes. I've seen models do this before, and I knew it would happen soon. But I just didn't expect it on my first day! I thought he'd wait till I was a pro at modeling first." Peach said in a whisper. "I'm a tad bit self conscious about my body."

"Well…duh. Everyone feels that way the first time. But you gotta get over it." Daisy placed a hand on Peach's shoulder. "In a modeling agency, you don't question the director's motive. Even if it is a buzzard like Gem." Daisy said the name properly. "But like he said, he wouldn't set you up for this shot if he didn't think you were ready."

Peach sighed. "I guess you're right." Peach thought back to what Roy said earlier on the phone. 'Don't make a fool of yourself.' _He's right. And the last thing I will do, is lose my job over something like this. Besides the area is pretty secluded and only Gem and Luigi are the only dudes out here. I guess…I could give it a try. _"Thanks, Daisy. Wish me luck." She scurried back over to Gem. "I think I'm ready now."

Luigi smiled. "Good. So here's the idea behind the magazine. We're taking model pictures of belief. By biblical, Greek gods, other myths, zodiac signs, the whole lot."

Gem placed an arm over Peach's bare shoulders. "For you I'm seeing you 'een the Adam and Eve scene. You being Eve 'een zee' Garden of Eden. You're at zee' scene where Eve 'ees being tempted by zee' serpent to take zee' fruit."

"Nice scenario. So I guess there's also going to be a snake in this shot?" She watched as Gem nodded. Peach sighed. Luckily, she wasn't really scared of snakes at all. The snake happened to be a harmless speckle colored one. Gem handed her a fruit, which was supposed to be from the forbidden tree and then told her to stand by the tree where similar colored fruit were placed. Peach walked slowly over to her destination, almost like walking to her death. She stood by the tree while a man who Peach guessed was the owner of the snake, draped it over her shoulders. The snake hardly made any movement, as if it were rubber. The lights shined on her and she saw everyone staring behind the camera.

"Whenever you're ready. Remember your body 'ees going to be slightly covered anyway by your long hair and partially by zee' tree."

Peach sighed. It was now or never. She slowly removed the only garment she had on, and a sudden breeze trickled her body. She had to start working. _Serpent offering fruit. Remember you're Eve. _Peach put on a frightened, yet sexy look on her face. The camera clicked over and over as she kept trying different poses with expressions with the fruit and snake. After the first set of pictures, she suddenly started to feel a bit more comfortable and started to do more exotic and beautiful photos. _It's not as bad as I thought. I just have to think of Eve. She didn't realize she was nude till she ate the fruit. That's the way I have to think. _

"Beautiful! Simply beautiful!" Peach heard Gem say. "You were stunning my little Eve!" Soon the photo shots were over. Gem smirked as he looked at Peach. "Look at you. 'Zee shots are over and yet you still have your robe off."

Peach smiled as she picked up her robe and put it back on. "I don't know. I just suddenly felt a bit comfortable." There were some more models watching. Even the blonde, Peach remembered to be Ginger.

"The shots are beautiful, Peach!" Daisy exclaimed. "Good job for a rookie!"

" A stupendous job for a rookie! Gem likes what he sees. Um…Peach darling?" Gem asked. "Do you have some spare time to do another shot? I need some shots for the Goddess of Love Aphrodite. She wears clothes."

"Well…sure!" Peach said. "I'd love to!"

"Wait! I'm supposed to be Aphrodite!" Ginger exclaimed. "You set that photo aside from me."

"Eh…Gingie. Gem always felt you were er…too tall for zat'. While Peach 'ees zee' perfect height and simply stunning. She has zee' face of a goddess. I see her face more zan' yours being watched." Gem exclaimed.

Ginger growled angrily and stormed off. Daisy smirked and waved as she left. "Better luck next time, hon." She high-fived Peach. "Way to go!" Peach smiled, as everyone clapped for her. Her career was already making a turn for the good.

**Locker Room**

Zelda picked up her sports bag. It was after dance class and things had been quite silent between her classmates. They danced with the boys but no words were said. (Saria was moody because Krystal was the lucky one to dance with Link.) She was the last one left in the room besides Krystal who was lacing up the boots on her feet. Zelda stared at her for a moment. What was it about her, which made Zelda just tweak with curiosity about her? She wanted to know what made Krystal Tamari tick.

Krystal feeling eyes on her, looked over at Zelda. "Something wrong?"

Zelda turned red, when Krystal saw her staring. "Nothing in particular." She walked over to where Krystal was sitting. "Just curious. You're never one to speak out. At least that's what I gathered. Did you really feel that way about everyone? Even me?"

Krystal nodded without a second thought. "Of course. I mean maybe you don't mean to do it on purpose but you're very self absorbed. You make us feel so inferior to you. Especially Malon."

Zelda crossed her arms and sat down. "But you and I both know I'm the best in the class. I've worked to achieve it. You even said so yourself, when you spoke to all of us."

"Yes. I know I said that. But we don't need to have it rubbed in our faces," Krystal stated. "We know it in our hearts, but you only make me and Saria and Malon feel worse. That's why Saria probably feels so much hatred towards you. You are not only an heir to the Harkinian family, the richest in the world, but you're also a dancer. I think Saria wanted something of her own to call herself the best at. Then you came along." Krystal smiled at Zelda. "Not that I'm ungrateful or anything. You could help us win a few medals for the college."

Zelda nodded. "I see. You know…no one has ever taken the time to break it down to me. But that still doesn't change the fact that I'm better and people must realize that."

"Uh-huh." Krystal sighed. _Well at least she's sort of getting it. I think it'll only be a matter of time before Zelda starts to become more human. _She stood up and stretched. "Want to walk with me outside or do you have more to do?"

"No. I'm done here." Zelda stood up and picked up her bag following Krystal out of the locker room. As they walked into the dance room, they saw Madame Leona hanging up some ballet pictures and trophies. She waved to the girls. "Good night, ladies."

"Good night." The girls chorused as they walked out into the cool streets of Nintendo. The sun was setting, but it was still bright enough to see. Krystal found herself yawning as she looked around. There was no sign of Fox anywhere. They were supposed to meet and go grab a bite to eat.

"Krystal?" Zelda started, she didn't speak again till she knew she had the vulpine's attention. "Gaiden's dancing. What did you think of it?"

"Link? I thought he was pretty amazing. I never knew that he could dance like that. It was simply just a shock to me. Didn't you think he was keeping up with you?" Krystal propped herself up on a wall and Zelda did the same. She realized this was the same wall where she and Link had talked before.

"I guess." Zelda muttered. "I hate to admit it. But you'll be the only person I say this to. But he was good. I mean… _**really**_ good. Not like he was better than me, but he was equal in step." Zelda explained.

Krystal smirked. "That must've been hard to say. I've never heard you admit someone was as good as you at well…anything." She pointed out.

Zelda crossed her arms. "I know. But I would rather die before I let Gaiden know that he's actually a great dancer."

"Aww…that's sweet!"

Zelda turned and almost fell off the wall she was sitting on, when she saw Link was below them grinning widely. "I knew you cared! Oh admit it, Zelda. You like me and you just can't hide it any longer." Link said with a laugh. "I knew I would get under your skin sooner or later."

Zelda hopped off the wall, staring the blonde right in the eye. She did her best to hide her surprise of seeing him there all of a sudden. "I was just having a bad day. You were okay. But of course you weren't better than me."

Link smirked. "Ah! Ah! Too late, you can't hide it any longer. We're equals in dance, and now you got yourself some competition."

Zelda glared. "Like I said. Gaiden. You got lucky! A bad day is all it was. Get it through that thick skull of yours." She crossed her arms. She turned away to see Samus walking across the street from the Recording Studio. Right on time to drive her home. "Thank goodness."

Link turned and his smile dropped. He remembered what Roy had told him happened to Marth not long ago. He knew Samus must have been taking it hard. "Samus, I heard about what happened to your friend Marth. Is there any news on him?"

Samus shook her head. "Not yet. Nothing good anyway." She answered softly. "But I'm sure he'll be found sooner or later." She looked over at Zelda, not wanting to speak about Marth any longer. "You ready to go? My car is this way." Zelda walked pass Krystal and the two girls took off.

Zelda turned to Krystal. "See you tomorrow, Krystal." She said politely. She lowered her eyes at the sight of Link only to utter one word. "Gaiden…" she halfway acknowledged. Samus gave them both waves before turning back around.

"I hope Samus feels better soon." Krystal said softly, so the other girls wouldn't hear. She nodded in satisfaction to Link. "I think Zelda's starting to warm up to me. And you…looks like you need a bit more work."

Link shrugged. "I'm trying. I don't know what else I can do. She's a hard nut to crack. I try to charm her with my jokes and she only scowls. When I give her a wave, she gives me the freeze. I thought for sure when I showed her I could dance, she would finally accept me."

"Don't give up to soon. I think today was a reality check to her. She was the one who started talking to me first." Krystal examined. "We're slowly wearing her down. But if you want to get with her the way I think you're trying to, good luck is all I can say."

"Thanks. For this girl, I'm gonna need as much as I can get." Link watched his younger brother come from the bathroom. Pikachu was scampering at his side. "Get it all out?" he joked.

"Not funny!" Young Link shoved his brother lightly with a smile. "Are we going home now?" He grinned wider as his brother nodded. "Good! Pikachu and me are tired of being around girls. Except if they're like you Krystal!" Young Link headed in the direction of where home was.

"Hey! Don't walk blindly into the street!" Link called, taking the authority role. He sighed as his brother acted like he didn't hear him. "Kids these days."

Krystal bit her lip. "Hey Link…" she paused wondering if she should ask. "Does…Young Link have some kind of bitterness towards anyone? Towards girls maybe?"

"Oh…" Link's face fell to a serious look. "So you noticed. Well Krys, it's like this. I really don't know exactly why…but my kid brother isn't open to girls who talk to me as if they like me or if they flirt with me. Did he act like that today?"

Krystal nodded. "While you and Zelda were dancing. He had such an angered look on his face. Could it be sibling jealousy? But I guess I can understand, since you're the only family he has around here, right?"

"I think you're on the right angle Krys. He just never seemed to like when girls get close to me I guess. Maybe in fear that I'll fall in love with a woman and then forget all about him. That's how a kid his age would think though." Link crossed his arms, as he looked at his happy go lucky brother. "But if you see anything conflicting with him and anybody. Don't hesitate to tell me. He worries me."

"Alright." Krystal answered. She saw Fox coming finally down the street. She waved him down._ Hopefully it won't lead to that._

* * *

Samus laughed. "So…he dances huh? Didn't look like a professional type of dancer to me." She chuckled a bit longer, as Zelda nodded her head. Samus stopped at slowly ending yellow light. It turned red in about two seconds. "What kind of dance did he do? The Macarena?" she joked.

Zelda peered out the window to see a homeless pushing a large grocery basket. "Nope. I can actually see him doing an idiotic dance like that. It was actually the Samba."

"Samba? Now that's talent." Samus pressed her foot on the gas pedal and took off out into the streets again. To Samus, it felt good to finally be able to drive her car again. Her brother had borrowed it right after he crashed his own and after distinctly saying he would be careful with it, totaled it two days later. "He didn't outshine you, did he?"

"No. But it wasn't like he was not far away from me. He's alright I guess." Zelda admitted. She couldn't believe she was still confessing these things out loud. But like Krystal, Zelda felt she could trust Samus with whatever she told her.

"Hmm…better look out. Looks like you have yourself a little bit of competition. He may be trying to steal your thunder." Samus commented.

"Not even!" Zelda wagged a finger near Samus' face. "No way. He's got a long way to go. Besides, even if he gets close to me, I'll just have to improve even more. I'm a girl on a mission."

"Don't think you have to tell me what that mission is." Samus pulled into the Larson apartment building garage. The school wasn't too far from their home. Luckily there was a empty parking space not too far inside. Samus pulled into the parking space. "Frankly, you and I sort of have the same desire."

Zelda stepped out of the car, clutching her sports bag. "Go on." The girls walked to the entrance of the apartment.

"You know, I love my mother and her singing. She's one of the best singers in the world. Everyone loves her and there's never a moment when people come up to me and mistake me for her. Gotta love those times." Samus looked up at the sky, it was still cloudy and stars were hidden behind the blankets of water. "So secretly, I've always had this goal to be better than my mom. Beat her in singing. Everyone would remember me as Samus and no one else."

"Huh, that's understandable." Zelda said as she pictured it. "To be mistaken for somebody is anything but pleasant. But I guess I'm not one to talk, seeing I've never been in that kind of situation."

In no time the girls were back up on the 11th floor of their apartment. Zelda was fumbling in her bag for the keycard. She grabbed her trig book instead. She groaned when she remembered the homework she had. "I swear the college life is death."

Samus rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it…hey. You have the same math class and teacher as me right? Think you may want to tackle these problems together?"

Zelda stopped in place. "Together? Well…no one's ever asked me to do something like that. But let me ask you this. What grades do you get?"

"Me? Mostly A's, a few B's slip by every now and then. I'm a whiz at math, I just do it rather slowly." Samus answered.

Zelda placed her hands on her hips. "Sounds like I should be the one asking for the help. You do better than I do in math. But I could use the help. Sure, you're on. My place or yours?"

"Is it okay if we do it at mine? My mom wanted me to take care of dinner, so I gotta cook. You can have a bite to eat if you want." Samus offered.

Zelda smiled at that thought. She had barely eaten today. "At this point, I will eat anything. But let me go drop my stuff off over at my place."

Samus smiled back. "Okay. Sounds like a…" She stopped as she stared ahead. A disgusted looked took over her face as she looked at who was in front of her door. She heard Zelda say "what" twice, but she didn't respond. She crossed her arms, seeing Jean Thomas was at her door.

Jean, seeing Samus coming, got up from the door side and walked over to her. He had a smile on his face. "Hey Sammie baby, I thought you would never show up." He grinned even wider, when he saw some new prey…Zelda.

Zelda glared as she crossed her arms, just like Samus. "Samus, who's this nimrod? Work for your dad?"

Jean walked up slowly too Zelda, examining her. "Jean Thomas. And a fine damsel as yourself would be named…" He tried to grab her hand, but Zelda backed up when Samus got in front of her.

"That's none of your concern," Samus answered for Zelda. "What are you doing here? Didn't I make it clear that I didn't want to see you ever again?"

Jean took his eyes off of Zelda, and turned his charm on Samus. He gave her a pitiful look. "Samus…you have to help me. Only you can talk to your father about getting my dad's job back. His life was the recording studio."

Samus didn't think her father would actually fire Jean's dad for him cheating on her. But then again, it wasn't any of her business. "Jean, I'm not responsible for your dad getting fired."

"But you can make him change his mind. He has a job that pays less than his previous job. We're going to lose our house because of this predicament."

"Sounds like a personal problem to me." Zelda butted in. "You must have done something really stupid. You must have been treatingSamus really bad for that to happen."

Samus was curious to how Zelda knew about what happened, but didn't bother to ask at the moment. She closed her eyes, trying to keep her cool. She was still furious with Jean. "I can't help you. You should have thought about that before you kissed that girl."

Jean's eyes widened. "Samus! You can't be serious! You don't understand! That girl meant nothing to me like you did. Kissing her was like kissing sandpaper. Nothing but emptiness. This isn't only about the money, but I want you back!"

_This is just like with Marth. He cheated on me with girl and yet again here I was with a boy who was following the same path. But for some reason, Jean doing it seems much worse than Marth. But why? Didn't they do the same thing to me? _Samus thought.

"Okay, I think she wants you to leave as much as I do." Zelda said haughtily. "You're really annoying…" Jean suddenly grabbing her hands cut off Zelda.

"How about you? Think you may want to help me? Maybe you can charm the old man into.." Jean made a move as if going to kiss her.

"Hands off, freak!" Zelda kicked him hard in the shins and he backed off. "Why would I help you?"

Samus glared Jean. "Get out of here. Now." she said as calmly as she could. She turned away from him, walking past him towards the door to her home, Zelda not far behind. "I can't help you. Your dad will have to find his own way."

"Is this because you think your old boyfriend Marth is going to come back?" Jean snapped. He knew that those words would turn Samus around. Sure enough, she did. He continued to toy with her head. "In the past when you and I were going together, if I was in trouble you would jump to help me! But now you're having all these mixed feelings since that loser came back to town! He's a nuisance and you might as well give up. He's as good as dead."

Zelda looked back at the ignoramus of a man. How could he find such words to say to someone he supposedly "loves"? Zelda watched as Samus took her hand off the door and slowly walked back over to Jean. She didn't know what Samus was going to do.

"Jean…" She said as she walked up to him. She shook her head and chuckled. "I really don't know what to say to that comment." As soon as she saw Jean drop his guard, she raised her hand and struck him as hard as she could. The slap was so loud it echoed through the hallway. "Except that you're a cold hearted bastard! That's the exact reason why I won't help you! I can never stand to be with someone so…so…there's not even a word vile enough to describe you! But I'm not going to let you talk crap about Marth! No matter what he did to me, I can count on him to never treat me like mound of dirt!"

Jean, felt the red wound on his cheek. "But Samus!" His response was Samus shoving him hard, and telling him to "shut-up and leave her alone!" She retreated back to where her door was as Jean glared angrily. "You can act tough, Samus! But I will find a way to break you! And hard!" He stormed back down the hallway to the elevator.

"I know how to pick them don't I?" Samus completely ignored Jean's threat, catching Zelda's attention. She was smiling, but she knew on the inside she was still fuming. "First, Marth then Jean..."

"Right," Zelda said suspiciously. "So what is going on with all these sudden outbursts about your old boyfriend, Marth? He went missing?"

"We had gone out on a walk, but he didn't return from the evening. The police feared that something might have happened to him. He might have possibly been attacked by someone he knows. They haven't found a trace of Marth." Samus felt that uneasy feeling in her stomach again. Like somehow, maybe Marth's disappearance was her fault.

"Of course something probably happened." Zelda remarked, catching Samus' attention. "You must have been caught in some kind of scandal. Someone obviously saw you with Marth, and was furious enough to take it out on him. And now...he's missing, probably battered and bruised, hanging on to his last thread of hope." Positivity for others wasn't Zelda's strongpoint. "Didn't I warn you about this whole love thing, Samus? You get involved, and someone's bound to get hurt. First Marth, and it seems like you're next on the chopping block."

Zelda's words struck fear into Samus. "Could you blame me, Zelda? This is someone I really cared about. Maybe this is something hard for you to grasp because there's no one who's had a great impact in your life. But I've always been one not to turn away from someone I care about..and I think..." Samus knew it now in her heart. "I really think Marth is one of those people. Maybe that's what his kiss meant," she said quietly.

Zelda just stared at Samus. _Clearly she's lost in her own fantasy world. Nothing else, I can do. _"Well, I don't think there's any way to persuade you into realizing my thinking is the only and _right _way. Anyway, I'm going to get my books and I'll give you a few minutes. Obviously you need some time to cool down from that Jean character."

"Oh," Samus came back to life. "Right. I'll be waiting. See you then." With that, she opened her door and walked into her room.

"Good-bye," Zelda walked off to her own room thinking about what Samus had said. _**I**_ _don't understand because **I** don't have anyone **special** in my life? Please...clearly she's the lost one with her wishes for love. Love gets you nowhere...except tangled in a web of lost hopes._ Zelda felt a strange and uncomfortable feeling in her heart. _I_ _refuse to let a loved one control me ever again!_

**Burger Joint**

"No. They didn't!" Roy exclaimed. He shot up from his seat. "Are they crazy!"

"Roy!" Peach grabbed her friend's arm and dragged him back down. She hid her face as people in the diner looked over at their table. "Jeez… a little louder, Roy. I don't think enough people heard you," she hissed sarcastically.

"Sorry, Peach." He eased himself back into his cushioned seat. He accidentally ribbed Peach in her side. "But how could they take photos of your bare-naked body on this first day? Isn't there some law or policy against that?" Roy said, still in disbelief.

"That's the model biz, Roy. Sometimes you just gotta do crazy things. But you know when I was up there, I felt free and in my own skin. I was like Eve, being scared yet tempted by the serpent," Peach said.

"Man…wish I could've been there," Roy commented, as he started daydreaming about what it was like. He felt Peach's eyes burning into him. He backed off from his daydream. "I mean…so I could erm… have stopped the idea...of doing such a terrible shoot." He covered up.

Peach eyed him. "Uh-huh. Sure…pervert." She muttered. She looked around the diner. Roy was really going cheap today. The diner was a very old-fashioned 60's diner; jukebox; records; hula-hoops; roller skates and all that jazz. "Are you sure you don't want me to pitch in tonight?" she asked once again.

Roy moaned in annoyance for his friend being repetitive. "Yes! I promise it's nothing. When I say I'm treating someone on a celebration, I'm doing it and I alone," he announced.

"Fine." Peach glanced at her watch. It was almost 9:00. Luckily she did her work in the spare time before she had to go model. She placed her hands on the table and glanced over at Roy. _It just wouldn't work out. If he ever confesses to me that he likes me I don't know what I'd do. He's such a sweet… _

BUZZ!

Peach jumped knocking her knee into the table, and practically falling onto Roy. He gently put an arm around her, making the blonde blush fiercely. He looked at her, with such a sincere look on his face. "What is it? Saw a bug? That equals free meal!" he said with a grin.

Peach laughed. He was such a cornball. "Sorry to shatter your dreams to forever be cheap. But it was just my cellphone." Feeling uncomfortable, she slipped out from under his arm and turned away to look at the phone. She got up from her seat. "I'll be back."

She headed over towards the girl's bathroom and answered the phone. "Um…hello?" she answered.

"_Hey Peachie! Guess who it is! It's ole Falckie!" _Falcon exclaimed with a chuckle.

Peach gasped. "You? But…how did…How did you get this number? I didn't give it to you!" she replied.

"_Well I called your apartment building and this old dude answered the phone. I told him I was looking for you, but he said you stepped out. So he gave me this number."_

Peach leaned against the nearest wall. "Did he _give _you the number? Or did you con your way into getting it from him?"

"_Um…none of the above? Oh okay, I asked him for it and told him I was a distant cousin. You really should have given me the phone number that night. I had to talk to you. I wanted to know if maybe you wanted to go out tonight?"_

"Tonight? It's already 9:00. Can't it wait till another day?" Peach asked. "I'm kind of in the middle of my own little celebration. My friend Roy and I are out together. He took me to this…"

"_Well can you ditch him? Leave early?"  
_

Peach frowned. "Leave early? What kind of person do you think I am? I wouldn't ditch my friend."

"_Why does it matter? For all you know, he could be trying to set you up on a date. It's just the two of you? That's no celebration party."_

Peach paused and looked over at Roy. He was sitting impatiently, tapping his foot. _It is just the two of us. But still…he spent so much time. _She got back on the phone. "Another time, Falcon. Tonight my time is going to be dedicated to my best friend."

Falcon sighed. _"Fine. But who knows when opportunity knocks the next time."_

"I'll know when you know." Peach hung up the phone, satisfied with her decision. She walked back over to the table to see the waitress was there talking to Roy. When Peach saw the food in front of them, she froze. Roy looked over at her with a puzzled look. "What's…that?" Peach asked slowly. Roy looked at the milkshake he had ordered and peered at it hard. He saw the two straws coming out of it. He simply laughed.

"Get this. She thought we were on a date, seeing that I was paying for the bill. Hahaha, and this is just too rich! She gave us two straws for sharing my milkshake and put ketchup on our burgers in the shapes of hearts. Funny, right?" Roy asked, laughing up the scene.

"Right. Look um…" Peach glanced at the waitress's nametag. "Annie. That's cute, but we're strictly just friends!" She sat down next to Roy, but not close so the waitress would get the idea.

"Oh…this sweet young man told me. I just thought you two looked like an adorable couple so I thought it must be a date," Annie explained.

"Well sorry, but it isn't." Peach took one straw out of the milkshake. Then she placed the buns on both of their burgers, smearing away the ketchup hearts. "Just friends. Right, Roy?" she said with an annoyed smile. The redhead nodded. "Sorry, you had to waste you ketchup like that."

Annie took off back to her station. Roy was getting a kick out of this. "Man, are you uptight or what? She didn't know, Peach. Give her a break."

"But doesn't it bother you if someone just goes and assumes two people are dating just because they happen to be a boy and a girl? Just because you, the guy, is paying the bill? Just because we are both dressed nicely? Just because you order a milkshake?" Peach exclaimed.

Roy stared at her. People were watching them again. He gave her a nervous smile. "Maybe you should lie down."

Peach flopped down in her seat. _I'm getting really paranoid. How could Roy act so calmly about this? Well you know why. He thinks it's cute! What do I do?_

* * *

**Few Hours Later**

"Got your key?" Peach asked, as she reached they reached the front door of Roy's room. She watched as he fumbled around in his pockets for his key. She smirked and flicked the back of his head. "It's around your neck, Pea Brain!"

"Hmm…ah!" Roy removed the key from around his neck. "Right where I always leave it. Where would I be without you, Peach?"

"Hanging off the edge of a cliff." Peach smiled. There was a strong silence between the two as Roy put the key in the keyhole. She was out of words to say to him, which wasn't common whenever she was with Roy. "Thanks again for dinner. I feel like I've been spoiled."

"Hey. You should be used to it. You come from the wealthiest family in the world," Roy retorted. "People must be treating you from left to right." The doorknob unlocked, but Roy didn't open the door. "Want me to walk you back to your room?"

"No. I'm fine." Silence again. Peach stared at Roy. He was dressed how he normally dressed, black sleeveless top covered by a short sleeved red collared top. She had to admit, Roy always looked so cute in whatever he wore. Or maybe because he just had a sweet smile and great eyes. She didn't do this normally, but at times, it made her wonder what it would be like to have Roy as a boyfriend. She thought it would actually be a bit fun. But then there was that problem. Roy was just…she could imagine them together, but she just couldn't allow it. There was something just too weird about it.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Roy said, while leaning against the door.

"Um…right." Peach couldn't take it anymore. _I have to know. _She smiled sweetly at Roy. "Hey Roy. I have a surprise for you. Could your close your eyes and I'll give it to you?"

Roy arched an eyebrow. "For real? Well…alright." He slowly closed his eyes, readying himself for whatever was to come.

Peach stared at his inviting lips again. Could she really go and kiss him right now? She walked up directly to his face. _If I kiss him, maybe I can finally know how I feel about him. Then I can put it all behind me. But what if I like it? Then what? I can't go with him, because it goes against my standards. Not rich or successful. Just an ordinary boy without a path chosen. _

Roy groaned. "You're not going write something on my face like last time, are you?"

Peach snapped out of her thoughts and blinked. She couldn't do this. Not just yet. "No. But…" She hugged him tightly and Roy opened his eyes. "I'm going to hug you, for you being nice to me for all these years."

"Just a hug?" Roy asked. He shrugged. "Well it's better than nothing." He got out of her embrace. "Okay. You have taken up enough of my time so, I'm going to bed now and ponder why you just gave me a hug for a gift. Something we give each other on regular daily basis."

Peach felt a little guilty for leading him on. "I'm sorry. I couldn't think of anything else to say to you. How else can I express my thankful feelings for you?"

Roy frowned, but then chuckled. "I'm just kidding. I understand. Take that frown off your face." He opened the door to his room and walked inside. He laughed one last time before he looked back out at her. "I swear, Peach…you are just too cute for your own good."

"What?" Peach's call out didn't reach Roy as he shut the door. Cute. He said she was cute. There was no mistaking it; Roy liked her and one day he was going to tell her. She could feel it in her heart. But how was she going to tell him no? She walked away deep in her own thoughts.

* * *

Roy turned the light on in his room. He kicked off his shoes and flopped onto his bed extremely tired.

"Too cute for her own good? Couldn't think of something better to say?"

Roy sat up in his bed. "Hey. I'm trying. We can't all be winners like you." He looked over at the bed across from his. His companion was covered under his sheets. "What would you have done?"

"Something not so cliche. That's for sure," he replied.

"For someone such as myself, sir," Roy started. "I feel my words gave off a great impression towards Peach."

"Sure," he replied. "I'm sure Peach was melting when you called her cute."

Roy crossed his arms and frowned. "You better relax with the sarcasm. Or else I'll throw you out. Since you're so great…why don't you help me out? After all, you owe me one."

The companion got out from under his sheets. His blue hair all disheveled and out of place. Marth Lowell sighed as he sat up in his bed. "Hmm...I guess I do owe you one for what you did for me."

**End of Chapter**

* * *

_A/N: So I bet everyone is like "What the heck?" once again. Yeah, that's another shock. **I LOVE SHOCK!**So Marth is okay! Everyone can be happy again! Yay! But we'll explain more about what happened and how all this happened next chapter. Please leave a review you guys! I'll love you forever if you do!_

_Thanks again!_

**_Royal Kenya_**


	13. Chapter Twelve

_Hola peeps! Sorry, this took so long. It's been a really tough time. I'm already kind of depressed because one of my favorite wrestlers Chris Benoit **(Yes I watch wrestling. Why? Cuz it's entertaining. (crickets chirping) DON'T JUDGE ME! XD**) is dead for people who may not have heard that news. It's really sad._

_But it's not as sad as the news about the five poor cheerleaders who were killed in car accident, on their way to have a vacation. What made it worse was these girls just graduated from high school only a **WEEK** ago. It's terrible. Seriously you guys, remember to be safe when you're out on the streets. If you're driving or just being a passenger. Do not only look out for yourself, but your friends also. **Please take care of yourselves.**_

_But it's just been pretty rough. Also congrats go out to the graduates like **Babygurl278**! Computer High-Five girlie-gurl! Now you can join the graduate Class of 2007 circle with me! Yay! For you people going to high school, you'll have lots of fun! For you still stuck in high school or going on your senior…**Heh…good luck**. Just kidding, it'll be a bit difficult, but still bomb diggedy!_

_Okay that's all my news! Here's the next chapter. Grab yourself some popcorn and enjoy!_

**_WARNING: I REALLY HATE TO SAY THIS PEOPLE! BUT THIS CHAPTER IS GONNA BE LONG! BUT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS! TAKE IT IN PARTS IF NECESSARY. _**

**_(They should really install some electronic bookmarks on this site.)_**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Roy nodded. "You do owe me." He looked as his friend Marth Lowell got out of bed. He scratched his head once again. Roy sighed. How did he get himself into these predicaments?

It was only a couple days ago, when Roy was peacefully asleep in his bed. Then, in the middle of the night he got a call from Marth. He asked him to come pick him up at the park. Roy thought of hanging up and pretending he didn't get the message. But hearing the seriousness in Marth's voice, he decided to get up and leave. So there he was, driving through the nightclub life of Nintendo to arrive at the Grand Nintendo Park. He walked around the park for a while until he saw the battered Marth hiding in the bushes. Seeing his friend in all his pain, he rushed to his side.

"_I gotta get you to a hospital."_

"_No. That's not necessary." Marth had said._

"_Okay…want me to drop you off at your place then?" Roy asked.  
__  
"No. I don't want them to know anything about this. Just take me over to your place. I'm going to stay with you for a while."_

And stay he did. Marth had been in his room for three days, soon to be four.

The red head looked at his friend up and down. His usually well-kept face was now carrying scratches. Marth's bare back was a little bumbled up too. But it was healing rather quickly. There was only one large visible bruise on his side and Marth would groan in pain whenever he touched it or even lied on it. He was rubbing the sore at the moment.

Roy took off his shirt and pants, only to remain in the black jersey shorts he had on under them. "So…not to be rude or try to act like I'm kickin' you out or nothing, but when exactly are you going to be up n' outta here?"

Marth glanced over at him, as he pondered that question. "Dunno. I'm quite fond of being made out as "missing" It's a breather from the outside world."

Roy climbed into the spare bed. "That's nice and all, but sooner or later someone's bound to find out where you are. By the way, your mom's really moving to find you. I say you only have about at least two days tops."

"Heh, sounds like my mother. She's been going crazy with this search party. I know I should reveal myself, but I hesitate at the thought of how she'll react when she finally sees me."

Roy chuckled. "Knowing your mother, I'd reveal myself pretty soon if I were you. Any later and she may put you in shackles and lock you in a cage, never to see daylight again."

Marth shrugged. "I won't deny that." He laid his body back down on the cool sheets, propping his folded arms under the back of his head. "So…have you talked to Samus?"

"Oh your little girlfriend." Roy commented. He scratched his chin, as he thought for a moment. "Eh…I guess she' s okay." Roy realized his little comment, tweaked Marth's curiosity. "Don't worry. She's just a little moody. But she's always like that, whenever your name is involved. So I guess, she's acting normal."

"Is that it? She hasn't asked you if you knew anything on my whereabouts?"

"Nah. Haven't really talked to her. Although she did call me, saying your mom was trying to reach me for questioning. Otherwise, Samus doesn't stay on the "you" subject very long," Roy explained. "I think she's really over you." He felt Marth's glare dead at his back, as he turned over to face the wall. "You know I'm just kidding."

"Whether I knew it or not, you could still spare the unnecessary commentary. Roy, you know she's my world and I'm willing to do anything for her. But she still finds a way to undermine my existence. You never would think one little video could vandalize twelve years of friendship."

Roy shrugged. "Come on, man. You're taking this like Samus despises you. I think she just really unsure of what to do after seeing the video. But no one except a girl knows what is a girl's intentions." Roy said, thinking Peach was the exact same way. "Trust me."

**KNOCK! KNOCK!**

Marth became alert right away. He shrunk down under the comfort of his sheets, rising them to his neck. Roy got up and crept quietly to the door. He thought everyone would have gone to bed by the time he came back. He opened the door to see a very fatigued Link.

"What's up?" Roy asked, as he eyed to make sure Marth couldn't be seen.

Link glanced around Roy's room from what he could see from the outside. He then looked Roy dead in the eye. "Are there any monsters in here negotiating whether to eat you or not?"

"Umm…no…" Link had always been weird, but that comment topped it. Roy waved a hand in front of Link's droopy eyes. "…Are you…sleepwalking?"

"No." Link brushed his hand away before he crossed his arms. He was practically dead. Link was more for the day time rather than the night. "Young Link shook me out of my sleep and said he could hear a monster attacking you in your sleep. Being the responsible brother that I am, I came over to investigate. Though it seems it was only you and Marth talking."

Marth sat up from his hiding place. "How did you know I was in here?"

"Saw Roy helping you into his room arly Sunday morning. Besides Roy was bringing food to his room, when he usually devours it before he gets home." Link stepped past Roy to see Marth in full view. "How can you not know something was up?"

Marth chuckled. "You make a valid point." Link walked over to him, examining Marth's mangled body. "I'm fine. Just a few sore spots."

"Looks more like a car ran over you. Who beat you down?" Link asked.

"…Sam's bodyguard Ganondorf and her brother, Falcon," Marth answered. "They clobbered me with their fists and whatever else they could get their deadly hands on."

Link looked at him, eyes finally awake. But Roy had the most shocked look on his face. "Seriously? Isn't that the same dude Peach said she got a ride home with?" Link nodded to his question. "If I would've have known this… ugh, I knew Peach shouldn't have gotten a ride with him. I should've suspected that ever since the first time we met him. She needs to know who she's dealing with."

"You can't do that, Roy. That' s going to jeopardize my disappearance." Marth said. "If you go and tell Peach, the only way she'll figure that you found that out, is if you know where I am. Then she'll go probably talk to Samus, and then she'll talk to her mom, who will talk to _my_ parents. Then they'll go find you, Roy, and then you'll break down when they question you. Thus, I will be found out," Marth explained.

"You know the chances of that chain reaction occurring is pretty much slim to none," Link mentioned. "Besides, we have to think about what's best for Peach too. She is our friend and I'm sure you don't want to be held accountable if something bad happens to her."

Marth agreed. "I hear what you two are saying. But I still don't want to take the risk. Even if you could tell her, that would only mess up Samus and me. I'm sure Peach is the one, who will take aggressive actions if she found out info such as that. And take them out on Sam's bro. Then Falcon will know right away who to take it out on then. " Marth continued. "I know it makes it sound like I'm a coward, but I'm not. I'm thinking about what it will do to Samus if she ever found out."

Roy wasn't thrilled by Marth's plan at all. But he nodded along with Link. "I'll go along with it, if you really want to do this, Marth," Roy spoke up. "But you do realize that you can't keep this charade up with Samus much longer, right? She _will_ find out."

"That may be the very case. Which is why it's important that both you and Link be confidential about my whereabouts. Trust me, I do have my reasons for not revealing myself to her."Marth looked over at Link and Roy, with a determined look on his face. "So I'm asking you two, keep Samus away from the truth."

**Next Day**

**The Oasis School Cafeteria**

Samus sat down at a table far away from the other students. Time hadn't really given her a moment to do some thinking. She straightened her top making sure it was on neatly. She was wearing an orange jersey tank top with number "88" plastered on the front and back in navy blue and black. Her jeans were baggy and she had on clean white tennis shoes with orange socks. Her hands were accessorized with one orange sweatband on each arm. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail with some strands of hair hanging against her ears.

She looked around the cafeteria, seeing if she knew anybody around. Saria and Malon, from Zelda's class, were at a salad bar. The two seemed to be very best friends, always sharing secrets and being the little girlies, best gal pals should be. Samus couldn't remember the last time she had a female best friend. There had only been one guy who she could trust and she kept it that way all her life. No one else really understood her.

For a slight moment though, she thought maybe Zelda was going to be the pendulum to change. The light to the situation. The key to the door. _How off was I? _Samus thought sarcastically. _Try to give a girl a chance, and she shows how full of herself she really is. Asking Zelda over to work on math last night was a terrible idea. I wonder if that rich life of hers distracted her from acting like a normal being, and made her the self-absorbed person she is._

. Regret came to her mind. Samus shook her head and she started to play with her silver cell phone. _I have no right to say those things about her. I just met her in less than a week. She may be going through some problems of her own. It's weird how she sometimes talks down in the mud with me, but then she gets back on her high horse again. But I was always taught that everyone has a good side. I'm sure she does too._

"Hey Samus!"

Peach Toadstool and Krystal Tamari arrived at the table. Peach was dressed in black shorts and one of the school's T-shirts, advertising the arts college. It had symbols on it of ballet shoes, music chords, theatrical designs, and another thing Samus couldn't identify. Krystal on the other hand was wearing a black rhinestone top, with matching jean jacket and skirt. There were black sunglasses placed on top of her head and tiny hoop earrings.

Compared to Zelda, Samus felt she could level with Peach. She was deeper in mud than her sibling. "Hey. Nice to see you two again." She sat up in her chair, as the two girls headed to the table, with eyes asking, "May we join you?" Samus didn't oppose to the idea. Both girls sat in the seats with her in the booth.

"So, how are you this morning?" Peach said in a bubbly voice. She placed a pair of chopsticks in her hand and broke them. She had a Chinese Cuisine of some sort on her plate.

Samus observed as Peach fiddled with her chopsticks. "Feeling like anyone should feel on a day of school; wishing to be somewhere else. I see we're going a little foreign today," she added referring to Peach's utensils.

"Oh, these things? Kryssie taught me how to use them yesterday. They make me feel more mature, elegant, and cultured." Peach easily picked up a piece of meat with the sticks and placed it in her mouth. "It made it into my mouth this time."

Krystal and Samus giggled. Krystal placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Keep working on it and soon we could move up to Chinese restaurants. But only steamed rice, my friend. We don't want the weight to go down to your modeling thighs and hips. Miss Peachie's a model now for the Walking Mannequin."

Samus grinned. "Really? That's one of the top modeling agencies here. People would kill to get in there. I hear Jim Stevenson is a bit on the weird side though."

"You mean "Gem" Stevenson." Peach swallowed down her food. She picked up a napkin to wipe her lips. "He would kill you for saying it wrong. He's pretty cute for a man in his 30's with his total fake accent. I just had my first photo shoot with him yesterday."

Samus' eyes sparkled into Peach's own eyes. "That's great. With model agents like him, people will worship the ground you walk on." She eased herself back in the chair. "On the front page of every magazine."

Peach blushed. "I wouldn't go that far, Samus. If anyone's going to be news wide it's you. Your singing tore up the whole concert park yard on Saturday, from what Kryssie has told me. It's only a matter of time before you're well known." Peach picked up a napkin and handed it to Samus. "I mean like seriously. Can I like have an autograph now?" she spoke in a valley girl language.

It was Samus' turn to be embarrassed. "Peach!" she hissed in a soft tone. Samus watched as Krystal mimicked Peach's gesture. "Not yo,u too."

Krystal innocently shrugged her shoulders. "She's got a point. You may become all famous and forget all about us little people. I'd like mine signed in ketchup."

The three girls laughed as Roy approached the table. He started to chuckle along with them to catch their attention. "So is this girl talk or can a man sit down and eat some grub?"

Peach glanced around everywhere except at Roy. Finally she looked at him and shrugged. " I don't see any men around here. What about you girls? Any men near this table?"

"No. Not a one," Samus and Krystal chorused.

"Wow…ladies. That hurt me right at my heart." Roy sat down in the seat across from the booth. "I thought I was pretty macho."

"Oh yeah! You are manly macho!" Samus said in a manly and buff voice, receiving more laughs from the blonde and violet vulpine. Samus batted her eyelashes like an adorable five year old at Roy. " I'm sorry. How are you, Roy?"

"With you and the Cackling Hyena Sistas over here laughing at my manliness? Just dandy!" Roy announced. He dove a fork right into his pasta. He gave in to Samus' offer to cease comeback fire for now. "Seems you're in better shape than you were yesterday."

"Yeah. A good laugh was all I needed to kick my spirits back into gear." Samus explained.

Peach placed her chopsticks back down in her bowl. "Samus I envy you so much for your strong heart. I know…well, you know… it was pretty difficult to hear about his disappearance. I don't know if I could hold it together as well as you are right now." Of course Peach had never been in a situation where her loved one was missing for a long time.

"Mm, there's just no good in going around school being worried about a friend. Especially someone like Marth." Samus laughed, trying to reassure herself. "Hehe, he hasn't a tendency to just wander off into his own thing. I wouldn't be surprised if we find out that he just got lost in the moment somewhere."

Krystal looked at Samus. It seemed as if her once determined and chipper look on her face was slowly fading. Krystal almost spoke to change the subject, but was interrupted by Samus clearing her throat. Samus glanced at the three of them, her face growing hot. "I'm…going to…just get something...anything." She walked away from the friends, leaving her things behind.

Peach pushed her food away as she watched Samus walk away. "Trying hard, but that girl is so out of it. His disappearance has definitely taken a toll on her. I'm going to check on her." Peach stood up from her chair, as her friends said "okay."

Roy sighed as he watched Samus from a distance. _How could this possibly be a good plan, Marth?_

Peach gazed a few meters ahead and saw Samus had stopped walking to talk to her sister Zelda. Though feeling bitter at the sight of Zelda, Peach continued on her venture over to Samus. Just as she was getting close, Samus was walking away from Zelda and continuing on. Zelda didn't walk over a couple inches till she froze when she saw Peach.

Peach couldn't read Zelda's face. But as Peach got closer, the defiant glare was visible. Though wanting to pass Zelda, seeing they were a distance apart, Zelda wasn't going to let her off the hook so easily.

"So…I see you and your annoying friends brought Samus to tears? I told you a face like yours could make someone cry," Zelda said softly, when Peach barely passed her.

Peach could think of enough easy comebacks and physical attacks to put her bratty sister in her place. But she needed to be the bigger woman here. She only smirked, as she glanced at Zelda through the corner of her eye. "Nice, Zelda. Maybe someday, someone will actually laugh at your jokes." Peach answered, as she continued down the path to Samus.

Zelda turned to face Peach. "Nothing else? I thought the rabid and disgraceful Peach would surely come out."

Peach really wanted to punch the living hell out Zelda. And she was going to do it with a smile on her face. But she kept her composure. "I see you haven't been very lucky in finding any friends yet, have you? Otherwise I wouldn't have to be here dealing with your stuck up attitude."

Zelda placed her hands on her hips. "Who asked you? I choose not to try and make friends with _any _of you. It'd be humiliating to my image."

Peach rolled her eyes, while crossing her arms. "Right. That's exactly it." She smirked at Zelda. "Let's face it, little girl. You're an outcast in this city and no one has learned to accept you yet. Otherwise you would really know what's wrong with Samus."

"And like you do know?" Zelda retorted.

"Samus has seen I'm more trustworthy and concerned than you. That's what the rich life of Joypadana will do to you. Keeps you the spoiled little Prima Donna you are." Peach loved how Zelda was now ticking like a time bomb by her comeback. Crushing her opponents once again. "Hey, I think I now know why Link talks to you. Seeing a poor, hopeless, conceited, little girl like yourself must really make him pity you."

"It's better than being some retarded bum in training!" Zelda called her.

Peach plugged her ears. "Sorry. I don't speak stuck-up prit. Call me when you're not such a spoiled and pampered brat." Peach sung as she walked away with a successful win over her younger sister._ Ah…that felt so good!_

Was there any point in returning another remark? It would only be hurled right back at her like a tennis match. She scoffed off in the opposite direction over to a clear table. She set her tray down, and brushed off her pink peasant skirt and sat down. The steamed soup below her filled her nostrils. She placed her spoon deep into the base of bowl, making an echoing wave ripple in the concoction. She had come into the Oasis with an appetite, but was now felt like she was full. Food was the last thing she wanted to venture down her throat.

Peach Toadstool just had the kind of effect on her. The shrew and cruel attitude of Peach was just so upsetting. She glanced over at the soup line where she saw Peach talking to Samus and there was a smile coming on the singer's face. Then, she suddenly started laughing along with her sister. Zelda couldn't help but feel an anger rising slowly from her toes and beyond. What was it that just made everyone like Peach so much?

She thought someone like Samus wouldn't be sucked into her fake kindness. But there she was: sharing a laugh with the girl. Why did she agree to study with Samus? Maybe she did have high hopes that Samus would be one to understand her and maybe be a follower. Someone who would look up to her. But she could tell Samus had grown tired of the conversation on dance as they talked that night, being too worried about that friend of hers.

Again, another fail by an individual in entering Zelda's ranks of being her friend. She really lacked those things.

Zelda turned only a little bit to see Saria and Malon swooning over some guy several tables away from theirs. Saria and Malon only made her ponder even more. How could they even have friends? Being the annoying pests they are, they should have been banned to the outside tables away from the civilized students. Their incessant chattering and immaturity belonged together after all. But maybe there was a key to this "immaturity". It seemed to make people draw to you like bears on honey.

It didn't take a long time, until Link was trotting over to her table. She saw him, but didn't look up for a second. Maybe if she looked busy, he wouldn't say anything. He presence was still over her. She finally gave in and shot a look up at him ready to send him away, but stopped when she saw a look on his face. It was the most serious look Zelda had ever seen from him.

"Hey, Zelda." Link said, in a monotonic tone. He peered in deep to his blue eyes. "Do you mind if we talk outside for a moment?"

Zelda stared at him. He didn't change his face to a goofy grin at all. He kept the same defeated expression. What could he possibly want?

* * *

Link pushed open the doors from the Oasis dining commons, letting Zelda out first. She walked out the door slowly, pushing her blonde hair off her shoulders as the two of them left the loud mess hall. The wind outside had picked up, making Zelda place her hands on her skirt.

"Pretty breezy today huh?" Link when he shielded his eyes from the dust now blowing in their direction. "Let's head over by that big ole music statue." He pointed over to a large Treble Clef shaped statue, made by one of the past alumni who went to the school years ago. He sped up his walk over to the statue and started to brush off the base of the statue.

Zelda suddenly started to feel uncomfortable. _What am I doing out here? How could I agree to follow him somewhere? Maybe to kill my boredom? Though I can't figure out why he would get so…serious. He's never like that. _She stopped once she was close enough and observed him clean the base a bit longer. Then he sat down upon it and offered for Zelda to sit by holding his hand out.

Zelda simply shook her head and Link shrugged as if saying "whatever" _What is he getting at? I'm not gonna let him get the best of me. Time to get tough. _She folded her arms and stared defiantly at the blonde. "Look. I love standing out in the blazing wind as much as the next guy, but what did you call me out here for? You're not one of my favorite people, you know?"

Link nodded. "So I've seen, heard, and observed. " He stared at Zelda, the same serious glance she wasn't used to. "You remember when I asked you some time ago what makes you so snobbish? You didn't really answer my question."

"You asked me that about dance class and the classmates," Zelda recalled. "I told you the reason why was to show them how good I am and to make sure they know what they lacked. So I did answer your question."

"Yes, but even beyond that. I'm just talking about me now. You know I've been trying to befriend you since day one. But I see you're not easily one over by a few confrontations," Link assumed.

"You really can't discover why I'm not responding to you? If you remember day one, you'll recall that you insulted me in front of all those individuals at your broken-down home. And then you try to apologize. But you don't even know what a decent apology is! You say "Oh, I'm sorry, Zelda," and then you try to show you're apologetic by continuing to be the annoying pest you are. So I'll ask you again. You _really_ can't figure out why we're not friends?"

Link frowned. "Hmm, so it's my own fault that we're not friends? Guess I can take that excuse, but I'm not okay with living with it. What's it going to take for me to be your friend?"

"Friends? Gaiden, friendship with you is one of the furthest things from my mind. You can't walk up to me, talk, and expect friendship just like that. The kind of friendship has to be earned in order to be seen around town with me." Zelda didn't take any shame in pushing herself above Link's status.

Link scratched his chin. "Earn it, huh?" He smiled at the blonde, making her even more suspicious at his actions. An idea had just sprung in his head. "Is that all?"

Zelda took a step back. "Is this the annoying Gaiden I'm talking to now?

Link nodded. "Eh…you could say that. But with a new and improved 'tude. I'm gonna make you accept me someway." He removed his hands from her shoulders. "Just wait n' see. You and I will be close in no time."

Zelda chuckled. "Here we go again with that idiotic brain of yours. What makes you think you have a chance?"

"I'm going to bet my wagers on a dance competition." Link could read Zelda's next expression like a book. "Yes, again. I feel you really didn't get the full extent of my dancing."

Zelda placed her hands on her hips. "I'm not going to waste my time and energy in proving my point to you once again, Gaiden. Didn't yesterday prove anything? I'm better than you. What will make this time any different?"

"You and I both know that we were well matched. You admitted that yesterday, even if you were trying to hide it. But I'm all for a judge who will really show who's the best." Link said slyly. "In addition to this, I want to make a proposition or "bet" if you will, with ya."

Zelda's eyebrow slowly arched up. "A proposition? You have my attention," she beckoned.

"Oh you'll just love it." He faced Zelda, eye to eye. "We have this little competition, but we raise the stakes a bit. If I win, you have to spend one day cooperating with whatever I want from you."

"Heh, why am I not surprised?" Zelda nodded. "Okay, and what do I get _when_ I win?" She asked in high confidence.

Link smirked, going along with her headstrong will power. "Aren't you the confident one? Well…_if _you win, I vow right after the competition to not only admit that you're the better dancer, but I will never utter another word nor associate in any other way with you ever again."

"Ever again?" Zelda echoed. "Are you sure you can bear such a devious bet? You love to talk the life out of everything."

Link nodded. "You should be happy. After all, if I'm the most annoying being in the universe, this should just be a field day to you. Seeing that I will leave your presence."

"You know, for once you're right. I'm taking a liking to this bet." Zelda held out her hand and Link shook it. A cocky smile curved on her lips. "Alright. I'll take that bet on. I'm looking forward to living a more peaceful life. What kind of dance duel did you have in mind?"

"Well…" Link pondered. He grinned at his opponent. "Heard of a game called Dance Dance Revolution?"

**The Hostel **

"How can you still say no? Samus is completely lost without you!" Roy yelled at his blue-haired friend. It was after school and Roy had immediately gone home to lecture Marth about his stupid plan. Roy watched as Marth simply shook his head once again, making Roy all the more want to punch him in the face.

"We've already gone over the risks, Roy. But I know I'm right in my actions." Marth continued to fill his cup with water. "She has to learn this way. Otherwise this will be a complete and utter waste of time."

"So you're punishing her because her brother and his stupid friend beat you up?" Roy exclaimed. "She wasn't aware that this was going to happen. You need to give her a chance!"

Marth frowned up at Roy who was standing over him. "You don't understand, Roy. That's the exact reason why this is happening. This is the second attempt of Falcon trying to get rid of me." Marth stood up, standing an inch or two above him. "Recall last Friday during the incident with Falcon. What did Samus do to prevent the assault?"

"Last Friday…" Roy had remembered the scene in his head, while Marth gulped down the rest of his water. "I don't remember..."

"She did nothing." Marth slammed down his glass, commanding Roy's attention. "She just coward behind her brother, letting me get wrongfully accused of hurting her. If she does like me, how can I know this will last? I don't want someone who's with me in one second, then against me in another."

Roy glared at Marth. "That's stupid, Marth. If you would have seen Samus today, you would know how devastated she is. How angry and guilty she's feeling because you're supposedly missing. But no, you don't know this because you choose to go along with this stupid plan!" Marth only sucked his teeth in response. "You're just being selfish towards her feelings. You say you love her, but it looks like you have doubts too."

"I don't have doubts. I'm just…." Marth was lost for words. Roy was matching his inner feelings to him very well. He lowered his head, hiding his eyes beneath his bangs. "…not going to take that risk!"

Roy chuckled, in spiteful anger. "You don't know how freakin' tired I am of that coming out of your mouth. Get your head on straight and realize what you're doing to a girl, who you really care about, is just plain wrong!"

Marth shook his head again. "You just don't understand." There was silence before they heard the front door open. Marth heard Peach's voice and Krystal's too. Knowing they weren't aware of his presence here, he stood up and gave Roy one last irritated look before disappearing through a door leading up to the bedrooms. Roy banged his fist on the table, just as the kitchen door opened.

Peach's current smile faded when she entered the room and saw Roy. She cleared her throat loudly to make sure Roy heard her clearly. "You nimrod! You're the one with the rental car! You left Krys and me at the school! What's up with that?"

"Oh…I did?" Roy had just then remembered how Peach and Krystal had said they weren't staying at school. Krystal was skipping dance class to work on a paper and Peach didn't have to go to the modeling agency until she was called in again. "Oh man! I'm sorry Peach. I completely forgot!"

"'I forgot' doesn't change the fact that you left us at school! You're such a spaz! " Peach scolded him.

Krystal, hearing the commotion, came in to be the peacemaker. "It's alright,, Roy. Luckily, Samus offered to give us a ride when you bailed on us."

"Samus?" Roy repeated. His reply was answered when Samus entered the kitchen. "Samus?" he said again. "What are you doing here?" This was the last complicated thing he needed.

Samus waved, at the appalled Roy. "Obviously I came here to give Peach and Krystal a ride, since you ditched them at school." Samus' green eyes, innocently smiled at Roy. "And since I came, Peach invited me in for a quick tour before I go. I wanted to see the great Shasta Towers I've heard so much about." She was vividly admiring the kitchen's tacky detail. "Pretty amazing so far. I wonder if I can talk my dad into letting me get a place here."

"You can't give a real tour unless Mr. Jones is here. You should just let Samus see the place on another day," Roy said in some attempt to make Samus leave.

"We'll be doing Jonesy a favor by doing a few tours for him." Peach grabbed Samus' hand. "There's not much! But I gotta show you the upstairs living conditions. You'll be in awe when you see the rooms where we actually have to bathe." Ignoring the protest from Roy, Peach led Samus up the back stairs of the kitchen up to the rooms with Krystal behind them.

Knowing Marth was up there, Roy knew he had to get to his room right away. He dashed out the kitchen's other exit, to go up the other set of stairs. He was out of there in seconds and soon sprinting up the steps, two by two. Luckily his room was close to the steps and the girls were nowhere near the room. He ripped his key off from his neck chain and opened the door quickly.

Marth had been staring out the window until Roy barged in. "Who's car is that down in the driveway?"

"The girls…brought…Samus with them. She's…just down the hallway." Roy said through his panting. He leaned against the wall after shutting the door. "No joke."

"Samus is in this house right now?" Marth's eyes filled with as much panic as his friend's. "Didn't you say you weren't going to tell Samus about my whereabouts? You said you were going to keep her away."

"I had nothing to do with it. Krystal and Peach decided to give Samus a tour of the place," Roy explained quickly. "But it doesn't matter. You need to get out of this room, this place, and go do something until the girls leave."

Marth didn't plan to disagree with Roy. He stood up quickly, looking for shoes to put on. He then started looking around for his cell phone. But he was incapable of finding it through Roy's clutter. A minute passed while he searched. Roy was going to warn him on his need to leave immediately, but the time never came. A soft knock came to the door, making the boys freeze in place.

"Roy, we need to come in!" Peach was behind the door along with Samus and Krystal. "I want to show Sam what the mens' rooms look like compared to ours."

"Um…come back later! I'm not decent!" Roy shouted from the doorway. He didn't hear the girls retreat from the door.

"Slap on a pair of pants and just let her look for a sec." Peach called back. When Roy heard the door being rattled, he remembered how Peach had a key to the room. He zoomed to the door and caught it, just before the door opened wide enough to see Marth. The girls were standing against the wall, but Peach was pushing at the door.

"You look fine to me. Open the door for just a sec." Peach demanded as she shoved the door. But Roy kept pressing his body against the door, getting Peach well irritated. "Come on, dude! She has other things to do!"

"Then let her go and do them!" Roy fired back.

Samus was getting frustrated herself. "I don't mind if your room's messy. You should see mine. So…" She walked up to where Peach was and grabbed onto the door. The two girls combined strength pushed the door open, knocking Roy back.

"Oh…man." Samus said as she entered the room.

Roy shut his eyes. "This room is so nice!" Roy heard Samus exclaim. _Wait. That's not what I was expecting. Doesn't she see that Marth… _The red head opened his eyes and gasped. Marth was nowhere to be found in the room. Aside from all of Roy's belongings, there was no other life form in the room. Samus was trotting from end of the room to the other. How did Marth escape?

Samus got down on her knees and looked at the bed Marth had been sleeping in. Roy suspected Marth had to be under there. But Samus had examined the whole bed without saying Marth's name. "This bed is so ancient. But it adds to the whole hostel experience. I love it."

Peach looked at the room in complete disgust. "Yeah, but would it hurt to tidy up around here Roy? It looks like a hurricane hit this room."

"Uh…sure?" Roy said in question form. He was still trying to ponder Marth's disappearing act. Samus got up from the floor. "Oh it's not so bad. But it does top my room." She nodded over at Krystal and Peach. " I think I've seen everything that I wanted to see."

"Good." Krystal said as she covered her nose. "I'm getting dizzy from these fumes. I'm heading to my room to work on my paper. Thanks for the ride, Samus." Krystal and Peach were the first two to scoot past Roy and head straight for the door.

"I'll walk you out, Samus." Peach said, looking back at the singer who was still standing by the spare bed. "Are you coming?"

Samus shook her head. "I'm sure I know my way out. I just want to check out the room a little bit more." Peach nodded and headed down the hallway. Samus and Roy were the only ones left in the room.

Roy feeling pressured under the silence, spoke the first words. "So…what else interests you about this crappy room? Heh, it's already embarrassing that you have to see my messy lifestyle."

Samus sighed, completely ignoring Roy's question. Sitting down on Marth's bed, Roy knew something was on her mind. The depressed look appeared on her face once again, as she looked at him. "Marth was here wasn't he?"

Roy gulped. "What…" he stammered. "Um…of course not, Sam. You know he's still missing. I…" Roy's eyes widened as Samus lifted up a very crucial item, telling him that the game was over. Marth's cell phone was in her hand. "So…you found his phone?"

"Saw it when I was looking under the bed." Samus heaved an angry sigh. "Why didn't you tell me you were keeping Marth here? How long has he been here? Is he even okay? I can't believe you, Roy." Samus was full of so many questions to interrogate the redhead about.

"Look, I know you were worried. But I couldn't tell you about him." Roy explained. Samus' expression didn't change. In fact, it seemed as if he only made it worse. "Samus, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? You sat there in the lunch hall while I was devastated about all this and you didn't say a single word. He's been hiding out here, and you two think it's just funny to keep this secret from me!" Samus eased her anger a bit, seeing there was no point holding anger against Roy. "Just...whatever...I don't care anymore. Just tell me where he is now."

Roy tried to explain one more time. "Believe me when I say I want to tell you, Samus. But Marth said he still wants to remain missing. That's all I can say to you." he said quietly. "But he's okay. He's eating four square meals a day, getting his rest and exercise. Trust me, he's fine." Roy retold her.

Samus turned to the window, not responding to Roy's comforting wirds. The clouds were slowly coming over the sun, darkening the bedroom. When the sun faded from her face, she turned to Roy. "Can I confide in you?" She waited patiently for Roy to nod his head. "I have this feeling in my chest that's just burning. Aching for me to tell my real feelings to somebody. You see…I didn't really give much care to Marth in the past after we broke-up. But then when he came back, I suddenly felt this anxiety to be with him again. But remembering the past, I did my best to try and avoid him. And then he asked me out on a walk."

Samus then went into detail about her whole night with Marth before he disappeared. She spoke about their conversations; the good times; bad; funny; the list went right on. Then finally she mentioned brief details about their fatal ending.

"Marth said it wasn't what I thought it was. He said that he wasn't kissing the girl in the video, but only giving her CPR. He couldn't fool me; I knew it was a lie. The woman was a pretty little brunette, so I guess I don't blame him. Prettier than me, without a doubt," Samus muttered softly. "How could he resist? He was such a thrill seeker."

Roy glanced away from Samus. _Why am I the unfortunate one to hear this? It's only making me feel worse about tricking Samus. She's tearing up inside and I now know I'm responsible for her pain along with Marth._ His eyes fell into a deep shady gloss. He had to tell her. But then Marth's words came into mind. _Well, if I can't tell Sam the truth, what do I do? _Roy noticed that while she was telling her confession, she was looking at him with her sad green eyes.

Samus felt dry and crummy all of a sudden. "Long story short, I thought I really didn't long for Marth anymore. But ever since that walk, he made me start to have conflicting feelings again. Then when he went missing, things started to become clearer." She turned her attention to the sky. "But…oh!" Samus blushed looking at the time fly by. "I'm taking up all your time." She stood up and bowed her head. "Sorry. I have to get to the music studio. So if Marth wants to stay hidden, I guess I can understand. Especially since he's safe now." She walked past Roy, right over to the door. "And…maybe you can tell him, what I just told you." Roy nodded, as Samus walked out the door.

"He doesn't have to." A male voice said. Roy and Samus heard the voice come from within the room. The blue haired Marth came through the window and sat down on the window seal. "I heard you loud and clear."

Samus looked at Marth as if he had just come back from the dead. "Marth…"

Roy was amazed as well. "How did you get out of here? You were in my room one second and then…"

"Let's just say this, Roy," Marth said while smirking. "If you ever have a fire, just remember you have a fire escape outside your window." He looked over at Samus, as she walked back in the room. "If you don't mind, my friend, I think Sam and I…need a moment alone. In your room, if you don't mind."

"Sure." Roy placed a hand on Samus' shoulder. "Don't kill each other please." He stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Roy's such a kidder." Marth said, as he got himself comfortable on the windowsill. Samus had walked back over to the bed he had been resting in. She sat down, never taking her eyes off of him. He smiled. "It's really me."

Samus returned the smile, but not the comment. "You really worried all of us. Especially your mother. I mean when the police found your bloody shirt you were wearing that night, she really thought you were dead. You shouldn't do something like this and worry your parents."

"What about you?"

"I didn't know how to react at first. That is, until I heard about that mangled and bloody shirt of yours. Then your safety was all I could worry about." Samus answered. She was astonished by the scrapes on Marth's face."I don't understand. What happened to you after you left the park?"

"There's no reason to keep that a secret." Marth rose from the window seal and moved to where Samus was sitting. He gripped at the black shirt, incasing his wounds. "Right after our last time together, I was walking back home. But on the way, two people stopped me. They snuck up from behind and knocked me into an alley. Once there, you can pretty much say what happened after that." Without warning, Marth pulled off his shirt to reveal the injuries he was carrying, earning a gasp from her.

"Marth! They did this to you?" Samus exclaimed, as she looked at the bruises on his back and chest. Just looking at them made Samus' own body ache in pain. "Why would they do this? I mean do you know who they were?"

"Well…no. They were just some poor thugs. Looking for some money to buy some drugs," Marth lied. Now wasn't the time to tell her about her brother's second assault. "They left shortly after they got what they wanted. Leaving me in the alley."

"But it doesn't make sense that you disappeared once they attacked you. You could have returned home. But you chose to hide instead and it worried everyone." Samus reminded him. "I want to know the reason why."

"When I lying being pummeled, it reminded me of last Friday. You know, when we saw each other again since two years ago." Marth started to place his shirt back on his body. "Their assault reminded me that your brother once tried the same thing to me," Marth spotted the guilty look on Samus' friend and it's exactly what he wanted. "As I've told you many times Samus that I care for you as a friend. But I don't understand how our attempted "friendship" will ever work out if I have to worry about if you're on my side or not. If you remember that day, you didn't try to defend me in the least like I'd hope you would."

"I see," Samus said quietly. She turned again to look at Marth's damaged body. "I...I haven't forgotten that day nor how guilty I felt for not coming to your aid." Without thinking about it, she finally placed one of her hands on one of his wounds. She felt him jitter a bit from the pain, making her feel even worse. "Believe me, I can understand why you're angry and I can feel your pain. If I were a better friend, you wouldn't have been hurt like this." She held one hand up, refraining Marth from retorting. "If I wasn't so late in realizing that I care about our friendship, I would have stopped you from leaving Nintendo Park that night. You and I would have been walking home together, instead of you being mangled and being left out in the alley for dead." She looked up at him. "You don't know how sorry I am."

Marth's eyes wandered across the face of Samus. He didn't see any signs of lies. "I guess I'm not making it better for you. Maybe faking my disappearance was too much, and leaving my bloody shirt didn't really help at all." Samus suddenly started to smile again and even giggled, striking curiosity in the blue haired male.

"Actually..." Samus raised her head, up to his again. "I should be thanking you for disappearing. It gave me time to really think about you. Before that happened, I really didn't think much about you. But now, I've realized some things."

_Right. She did say that. _Marth remembered, from eavesdropping on her conversation with Roy not too long ago. "So you did think about me while I was away?" Marth wanted to make certain he was correct. "I'm curious to know what you realized."

Samus looked into Marth's spellbinding eyes. Her feelings were no longer foggy. "I realized that there's just no way I can get rid of you, Marth Lowell." She smiled, causing Marth to become more confused. "I'm realizing now that it can't be denied that we have been best friends for years who always had each other's backs. I loved that about the two of us. and I would never want to throw away those twelve years we've know each other. You are my best friend and that can never change," she confessed. "So, I want to prove myself to you. I never want you to think again that I no longer wish to be there for you. This whole experience made me realize I have to act like a friend and protect you."

As Samus looked over at Marth, familiar old feelings for her friend were emerging. "You probably think this sounds silly. And sometimes, I think it does too. Me? Having the ability to protect you, after the many times I've let you down since you came home?" Samus laughed weakly at the thought. "But...I just have this desire to do this for you. And I think...it's because of those feelings you placed on me when you kissed me that night. I didn't know what that kiss meant, until these feelings returned just now. And those feelings are signs and they're telling me..." Samus wasn't afraid of her heart no longer. "...that I'm still in love with you. No matter how many times I chase it away, my heart is not going to change."

"Samus," Marth started. "I…" He wasn't sure if he could believe her. All those things she had spoken to him in their short gatherings; so rude and full of hate. How could she all of a sudden love him again?

"It's not something, I expect you to grasp so quickly." Samus was using the same words that Marth had used the night he kissed her. "But I just can't lie to myself anymore. Marth…I love you. And I hope...you'll take me back one day."

Samus felt a tremble finally reach her body. Why wasn't he saying anything? "Th-that's…if you…I mean…only if…" And there they were. A tear escaped her eye.

Before it could fall, Marth's finger caught it right at her lip. He lifted his finger off her lip, and wiped the tear off on the bed sheets, making Samus think he really didn't care about her anymore. But then he brought his hands to her face again. He smiled warmly. "Tears really aren't becoming of you, Sam. So for once, just stop..." He slowly brought her lips to his and pressed the gift of love on them. His kiss, didn't receive any hesitation from Samus, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He leaned back against the wall, bringing Samus with him. Her body rested against his, as he moved for a more intimate kiss. It was only a second or two, before Marth and Samus suddenly smiled against each other's lips. Their lips trembled into bundles of laughter and they had to pull apart.

Samus caught her breath through her laughter. "Did you remember it too?"

Marth chuckled. "Yes. When we first started going out, I remember how I tried to French kiss you. I was almost successful…but I forgot."

"I still had my braces on. My wire from my braces was loose and you scraped your tongue against one of them. You cut your own tongue and you had to get stitches and everything." Samus laughed harder. "I almost died when you told the doctor that you cut yourself, while licking barbecue sauce off a steak knife."

"Yeah…" Marth let Samus lean her back against him. "You had dangerous lips back then." The now confident Marth, starting to kiss Samus' neck. "But they're simply gorgeous now." He said soothingly, making Samus giggle.

"Wait…" Samus said softly. Marth stopped kissing her for a second. "So…are we going out again?"

"Mm-hmm. Are all past regrets forgiven?"

Samus had completely forgotten about the video of the woman kissing Marth. It just seemed to be so itty-bitty now that Marth was back with her. "Mmm…yep. I guess all's forgiven then?" Marth's only response was him kissing her shoulder. It was the only response she needed. But something else came to her mind. She placed a hand over her shoulder to stop Marth again. "What was the answer?" She turned to Marth, to see him giving a blank stare. "What was the meaning to that kiss?"

"What?…oh! You mean that kiss." Marth remembered. "Well…nothing actually. I just wanted to have a reason to kiss you. That's all." He blushed a bit.

Samus shook her head. "You idiot! I hate it when you always trick me!" She punched him playfully. "I was really thinking hard about it."

"Sorry. I was just hoping it would make you want to finish the kiss." Marth said shamefully. But Samus knew he didn't really care in the least bit. Marth lived for toying with her mind, seeing how gullible she was.

Samus rolled her eyes. "You can be so stupid." She smiled at her boyfriend. Yes, she could finally say it. Her handsome best friend was back in her life. The two were in love again. "But…I'll take you up on your offer of finishing that kiss. Even if it's a tad bit overdue?" She placed a small, playful kiss on his lips to persuade.

Marth didn't know what it was about Samus. But she was just too good to resist. "It never expired." With that, the two returned back to each other's protecting arms and kissed again.

As the two lovers kissed, it seemed like everything was really going to change for the best. Of course both of them knew, they had many things they would have to explain to their families. To be perfectly honest, neither of them really gave a flying care. Nothing was ever going to tear them apart.

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_**A/N**: Um…no. This is not the end of the story. It's just going to be a dramatic ending for Marth/Samus. Yes, people they are back together! Now…here's the thing, after the next chapter, you're not going to hear a lot about these two for a while. Part 1 of their troubles is over. But…there is much more in store. But you won't see it for a while. You will be hearing more from Peach, Zelda, Roy, Link, and the rest of the bunch instead. Eh…you'll see. Man…I know the ending was really fluffy. But it felt right to do. Hmm…_

_Anywho, thanks again for your reviews. Like I mentioned, I really enjoy to hear everyone's feedback on my stories as much as you like to hear feedback on yours by your readers.. Constructive Criticism is fine with me too. Like I said, I'm up for perfecting. Okay, see you guys later. Update will be fast I hope!_

**_Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! _**

**_So I know how to spark you people with interest!_**

**_Later!_**

**_Royal Kenya_**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

_Hi everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I don't have much to say so we'll get to the story. Except two things._

_1. You guys seemed really pepped about the DDR thing. I'm sorry to report this, but it's not happening this chapter. This chapter is focused on Marth/Samus the whole time, because it will be their last big debut for a while. It's basically the question people have been asking about the two of them. What exactly happened in their past? This is what the chapter is dedicated to. So...now you'll finally know. I hope this isn't a let down. You'll definitely see it next time._

_2. **Bumble Bee**, I can't reply to you since you have no log on or email I can refer to. So I wanted to tell you, I'm not ignoring your comments. I did watch Sad Tango. It was a quite alright video. Thanks for that link._

_Okay, please enjoy!_

_Thanks for the reviews! And mistakes told to me, are much appreciated! _

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**Chapter Thirteen**

"They've been up there for a long time. I was only kidding when I told them not to kill each other. Think they went through with it?" Roy asked Peach.

Peach was lying on her stomach on the couch, gazing at one of Gem Stevenson's magazines. The cover had a combined picture of Chyna and Ginger in swimsuits. She saw a couple of pictures of Daisy on the inside. "You've never been in a real relationship have you? If it's taking this long, it's obvious that they've made up. You don't hear the sound of arguing, so they're probably up there. Forgiving each other intimately." She flipped the page of the magazine.

"Intimately? You mean?" Roy jumped up from the chair he was sitting in, and ran towards the edge of the stairs. "HEY! MARTH! SAMUS! I'M TALKING TO YOU! YOU BETTER NOT BE HAVING SEX IN MY ROOM! ESPECIALLY ON MY BED!" Roy shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Roy. How did your parents put up with you?" Peach asked rhetorically, before going back to her magazine. She looked up again, when she heard thumping above her head. It was a rickety noise.

"Oh man. They're really doing it." Roy said in a panic. "In my room. On _my _bed."

"Calm your dirty mind. It's just the stairs." Peach explained. " You have such a dirty mind." Peach smirked when she saw Marth and Samus walking together down the steps. "Ooh la la! What do we have here?" Peach said, referring to the two's interlaced hands.

Samus blushed at the comment, while Marth simply grinned. He was so happy that he didn't know what to do with himself. The love of his life was back at his side. "Yes, as of this day Sam and I are going out again," he announced.

Samus turned to Roy, with flustered eyebrows. "By the way. We didn't do anything up there, so take all those dirty thoughts out of your head. We know better than that. Thinking of things like that." she muttered under her breath.

"Hey, it could happen," Roy joked. "But anyway, where are you two off to?"

"We're going to my apartment, to go get Marth's blazer." Samus answered. "Then we're going to have to make a couple of phone calls to our parents."

"Yeah…" Marth took over for Samus. "I've decided to let my parents know I'm okay now. They deserve to know before they turn this city upside down. Plus we gotta get our parents together and tell them the news so we need to start before it gets too late." he smiled at Roy and Peach. "Thanks for putting up with me these past days.

"Oh, it's no prob. You just gotta help me out on the next rent," Roy said. "And that's no joke."

"You're too kind." Marth put his arms around his girlfriend's waist. "So we better shove off. But hold on…" He started to feel at Samus' pockets of her jeans. "Where are your car keys?"

"You're not driving my car. Besides…" Samus smiled as she got out of his grasp. "They're not in my pockets. Now come on." Samus waved to Peach and Roy before heading towards the exit.

Marth copied the same gesture to his friends, before following Samus. "Where are you hiding them then?"

"Some place you don't need to be checking!" Peach and Roy, heard Samus yell from the outside.

"Oh, so that's where you were keeping them. I was bound to be checking there sooner or later!" Marth called back with a laugh. The door slammed shut.

Roy sighed, realizing what Marth had meant. "You know. I think I liked it better when they were flying solo."

Peach dreamily looked at them, through the window. "Well I think they're just too cute for words. I hope my relationships go as well as theirs."

* * *

"So…what are you going to say to your family? Have you planned it out?" Samus pulled the car out onto the road. She glanced at Marth, now resting his head against the side of the car.

"Mm…I don't know. Let me think about it for a sec," he said softly. He fell silent, and Samus looked at him when they stopped at a red light. He wasn't thinking at all, but sleeping peacefully. Samus chuckled. _I guess he hasn't done much sleeping since his disappearance. This feels so weird, to just be sitting here with him like a happy couple again. That time was so long ago._

* * *

_**Flashback (Two Years Ago)**_

"So this is where you've been hiding." Samus knew the voice well enough to not turn around. She simply ignored Marth, and continued to stare out at Nintendo City. "Sam? Hello? Anyone home?" Marth playfully asked. Samus kept her lips fastened together. Suddenly, she felt a chill run up her spine as Marth tickled her waist, making her jump!

Samus turned around angry. "Would you stop joking around?" Marth had fallen back, when she flared her green eyes at him. His own eyes started to pout, making Samus slightly guilty. But not enough to speak kindly to him. "Leave me alone."

"Leave you alone? But I need you to come with me. They're going to cut the cake and I want you to be up there with me," Marth explained. "Otherwise it won't be as special."

"I'm sure there are _other_ special people in your life. Like your stupid agent buddies. Why don't you guys just get married to each other, cut the cake, and just dance on top of it!" Samus snapped, before turning back around facing the city again.

"So, that's what it is." Marth stepped over to the spot to the left of Samus. He tried to look at her, but she turned her head again. "Sam…come on. You know as well as I do, I have no control over my missions. I have to go where I'm needed."

"For two years? Your missions may have been a week, maybe even two. But never have they been a two-year voyage." Samus turned back to Marth, looking as angry as ever. "Obviously, you don't understand how long that is. You are leaving me for two years."

Marth laughed. "You know I'm going to talk to you every day. It's not as if I'm going off to war." He moved to put an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "I'm coming back, as long as you're here waiting for me." Samus moved further away from Marth, making his attempt to get her in his arms a failure. She shook her head and walked as far away from him as she could. "Come on, Samus. This is ridiculous. You know I love you. What do you want me to do to show it?"

Samus stopped at the other end of the balcony. She turned back around to face him with eyes closed. "If you love me, you'll turn down that stupid mission and stay here with me. It's not worth it. And if you don't, I don't want to see you any more."

Marth was taken aback by what she said. He could tell Samus was serious about what she had said to him. But at the same time, he felt anger towards Samus for being so selfish. How could she put such a question on the line? There was only one way to answer it.

"Fine then." He started. Samus opened her eyes, thinking she had gotten through to him. "I guess I really can't love you then. I'm going on the mission, but I wish you would be more supportive."

Samus' green eyes hardened at Marth's response. "Well, then there's nothing else to say to you. I just hope you realize the mistake you're making. I'm going home." Samus walked past Marth, hitting him on purpose with her elbow on the way back inside.

Marth wanted to follow after her, but he knew he was right in his actions. He loved Samus more than anything, but he knew she acted like a brat whenever she didn't get her way. He couldn't always cater to her wants. He sighed as he walked back inside to see his friends and family all waiting for him to return.

"Come on, Marth." Sonia Lowell had exclaimed as she pulled him over to where a large cake was waiting. "Everyone's eager to eat that cake. Doesn't it look great?"

"Um…yeah." Marth lied, as he came to a halt in front of the cake. He looked at the crowd of people on the other side of the cake. Some of them were shouting for him to do a speech and Marth saw a flashing light from a camera every now and then. He smiled weakly, embarrassed by the attention. "Well…I don't know what to say. First off, I'd like to thank all you guys for throwing this "Going Away" party for me. It's been real fun getting to see everyone I've known throughout my life. So I want to thank all of you. My family, my friends, for just being here all these years for some troubled guy like me."

He got a few laughs from his audience. He chuckled himself, but it faded as he peered to the back of the room. He could spot Samus' blonde head, rummaging through the closet of his house. He sighed. "But out of all my friends, I have a special one. Who's more important to me than she realizes. Right now she hates me for even deciding to leave."

He observed Samus stopping at the door, knowing he was talking about her. He continued, "Though I couldn't blame her. I'd feel the same if I were in her shoes. You guys know her. She's the cute blonde with the beautiful green eyes so illuminating, that it would make an emerald look dull."

Samus blushed madly, when she saw the audience of friends and family turn around and face her. It sucked to be the only girl, with such unmatchable features. She started to hear all the "aww's…" or "how cute" or people snickering away. _He must live to embarrass me. I swear I'll kill him!_

"It's my sweet and beautiful girlfriend, Samus Aran. She tries to give herself little credit for how great she is. She's smart, funny, and caring when she isn't pouting." Marth explained. Samus walked away from the door and continued to listen to him talk. "Back when I met her when we were kids, I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her, we would have a strong connection. Well, look where we are now. Four years and still kickin'."

Marth smiled at his girlfriend. "And I wouldn't do anything to ruin it. I'll miss you more than you'll ever know." He then dove the knife into the cake, cutting the first piece. "With that said, let's all eat cake!" The crowd cheered and they immediately charged for the cake. Marth dodged the hungry guests smoothly, while making his way over to the patiently waiting Samus. "Did you like the speech?"

"Sure it was sweet, but did you have to go and embarrass me like that?" Samus first said.

Marth smiled a bit. "It was just to lighten the mood." The two of them stared at the other guests pushing and shoving for the desert. "Some friends huh? They only love me for cake." He watched his girlfriend smile as well.

"Your mom's cake is good. But you matter much more to me." Samus dodged Marth's slow movement to kiss her "Which is why I don't want you to go. Are you sure you can't get out of it?" Marth shook his head, making Samus sigh. "Then I guess I'll have to be the adult here and wait for you." She placed her arms around his neck. "You know, this really sucks." Samus said in a whisper.

Marth nodded against her hair. It had a raspberry smell roosted deep within the locks. "I promise you're not going to lose me. Count on it." The two softly shared a brief kiss,thinking they were the only ones in the world. But a soft click from a camera proved otherwise.

Marth looked up. He groaned when seeing the camera in his friend, Roy Varvel's hands. "Say Cheese!"

Marth simply rolled his eyes and played along as he grabbed Samus by the waist, and they both smiled for the picture.

CLICK!

Samus looked up at Marth as he suddenly laughed, before letting go of her to retrieve the camera from Roy. Samus felt tears building her eyes, but she stopped herself from crying by laughing. She needed to stay strong. _Marth, you say everything's going to be okay. So I'll believe you. You've never let me down before, so you better not start now._

* * *

**Present Time**

"Here it is," Samus said, as she ventured into her own closet. She came back out with Marth's black blazer bundled in her arms.

Marth was sitting at her studio mirror, looking around the mirror's frame."I see you took down, all those pictures of you and me?" he asked.

Samus sat down on her bed, across from him. She nodded. "That's normally what you do after a break up. You throw out everything that carries a memory of your relationship with your ex. Didn't you throw out everything after it happened?"

"No," Marth answered. _Well that's partially a lie. I threw out a few things that reminded me of her. But I stopped…when I realized I couldn't do it anymore. I was still in love with her. I wonder how Samus could do it with such ease. I guess what happened, did have a terrible effect on her. But what was I supposed to do? It just happened._

* * *

**Less Than Two Years Ago**

"This place is great! Maybe, I should become a CIA agent too."

Marth Lowell chuckled as he looked over at his friend Roy Varvel. The two friends were sitting outside on of the French restaurants, after eating lunch. Marth had invited Roy to visit him over the summer. He was going to invite Samus, but apparently her father said she couldn't, because of singing engagements and wanting to spend some quality family time with his daughter. Marth already knew Mr. Aran wasn't fond of them going out, but he was eager to do whatever he could to make her father accept him. And if all else fails, Roy was always a good bud to have fun with.

Roy was staring at the French Girls walking by their table. He had a video camera in his hand and was taping the girls walking by with their short skirts. "Ah…" Roy said, as he saw the girls' skirts twitch back and forth. "I love zee' French girls." he commented in a fake accent.

Marth shook his head, reaching out for the camera. "You're bad, man. How can you just sit there taping those girls in a disgraceful way? You're setting a bad example for the people of Nintendo."

"Oh…sorry! Let me tape you, instead. This is Marth Lowell everyone." Roy said sarcastically as he put the video camera in his friend's face. "He likes ponies, kittens, and puppies. Instead of hooking up with the sexy French Babes of France, he likes to stay pure by drinking Sherry Temples." Roy laughed, seeing his friend was getting annoyed. "You're hopeless, dude. What's the point of going away if you're not going to check out the sites of Paris? Every single beautiful part of them?"

"You need help," Marth said. "First off, there's absolutely nothing wrong with drinking Sherry Temples. They're quite refreshing. Secondly, this is why you are still searching around for a girlfriend. You do too much ogling. I'm a man who's true to my girl."

Roy snorted, still taping this conversation. "Please. If you don't ogle, how do you know when you'll find Miss Right? We can't all be as fortunate as you, finding love in the sandbox," Roy sighed. "Girls are complicated creatures. Take that blonde heiress I told you about who just moved into the hostel. She acts as if she's just an alien to this world. She doesn't understand the concept of cleaning and she's just an oddball. But dang, she is just fine!"

"Anything else interesting about her? You gotta go for more than just looks. Is she sweet and sincere? Something?"

"Let's just say she's a more classy and sophisticated girl. But she has a great smile. She seems right, but then she doesn't like my jokes."

Marth sucked the last bit of his drink out of his straw. "But no one likes your jokes. So I think it's a start." Marth looked past Roy to see a crowd of people all looking over the edge of a railing out to the man-made ocean. When he turned, he would've snapped at Roy for just stealing his cherries off his drink, but he was too interested in the commotion. "What's going on over there?"

"Hmm? Dunno. Let's go check it out." Roy popped the last cherry in his mouth. He shot up from his chair, bringing the video camera with him. The two males rushed to the scene of action. They stood right at the edge of the body of water. Roy was the first to spot the trouble. "Oh, dude! Check it out!"

Marth looked in the direction of Roy's eyes. Everyone was staring far out in the middle of the ocean. There was a woman in the water, trying to float with the water. But she was gasping and flying her arms around wildly. She fell beneath the surface of the water back and forth. Marth's eyes widened. "She's drowning and no one's out there with her. Isn't anyone going out there to help her?"

"Well…" Roy looked at the spectators. They all carried looks of fear, but none of them were moving a muscle. "I'm afraid they're not fans of the water. Which means, someone with elite swimming skills should go out there and save her." Roy looked at Marth. "So, hop to it!"

Marth looked at his friend like he was crazy. "Why can't it be you?"

"Because I'm a slow swimmer and won't get there in time. More importantly, I'm wearing nice clothes." Roy argued. "You wouldn't want me to be sopping wet, would you?"

Marth glared at him. He sighed as he readied himself. "…why am I always getting the hero jobs!" He said as he dove into the river and swam as fast as he could to the slowly drowning girl.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Marth! Lie her down here!" Roy was standing by a nearby bench. The crowd had now moved from the ocean's edge to surrounding Marth. The girl had very short brown hair, almost like a boy's haircut. She was dressed in a beautiful green summer dress, indicating she had not jumped into the river on purpose. Marth kneeled by the body and listened by her mouth.

"She's not breathing." He started to shake the girl a bit, but she wouldn't budge. He looked up at the crowd of people. "Can someone bring me a bucket of water?"

"There's no time for that. Why don't you give her CPR?" Roy had the camera running in his hand, taping the whole event from the beginning. Roy shrugged innocently, as Marth once again gave him one of his death looks. "Come on. You know how to do it. Unless you want to live a life feeling guilty about a girl's death."

Marth bent down next to the girl. He knew he had to do it no matter how badly he didn't want to. For some reason his mind went to Samus. Was he being unfaithful by doing this? No. She would understand right?

He pressed his lips against the girl's pushing his own breath into her mouth. He lifted his head for a second to see she still hadn't made any movement. What happened after going down a second time happened in seconds. He was breathing into her mouth. But then he felt arms lash around his neck in a speedy motion.

Marth's eyes flew open, when he felt a tongue slide into his mouth. The girl was wide-awake now, but she was kissing him! Marth felt the need to move and rose his body up, but the brunette rose with him; her lips still attached to his own. Though Marth wanted to pull the girl off, all he did was shut his eyes and kiss her. He was losing all sense of what he was doing, until Roy caught hold of his shirt and yanked him loose.

"Marth!" Roy called.

Marth's eyes opened and he pushed himself away from the girl. Did he just do what he thought he just did? He looked at the girl who was now smiling at him innocently. Her big brown eyes stared gratefully at him. "You wonderful boy! You saved me!" she said in her beautiful accent. "I just thought I would reward such a handsome boy with a kiss and possibly even more?"

"Um…no that's okay." Marth got off the bench. He started to take far steps away from the girl. "Just be more safe in the water!" He said in a nervous chuckle. He quickly grabbed Roy's arm, getting a complaint from him. But Marth didn't care as he dragged him and his friend away from the crowd as he could. _I just can't believe…I mean…it only took one second._

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Marth, you're gonna get us lost in this city!" Roy tugged his friend to his stop. They were over by an old museum. Marth nodded and sat down on the Museum steps. Roy happily sat down next to him. "Wow. That was some amazing moment huh?"

"Did you not noticed what happened? I just kissed another girl." Marth noticed Roy's video camera was still in his hand. "Is that thing still recording? Erase all of it!" Marth snapped at his friend. He ran a hand through his hair. "Man oh man. How did this happen? I can't believe…I just…" He shook his head. "I know Samus wanted a video of what was happening here. But we can't let her see that kiss. Sam can't know a thing about this."

Roy nodded in complete understanding. "Don't worry, dude. I would never let that happen. My laptop's at home, we can edit out that whole kiss. She won't suspect a thing. But…you are eventually going to tell her right?"

Marth looked at Roy only for a second before shaking his head. "No. As long as I can prevent her from knowing," Marth started to get horrid thoughts of what Samus' beautiful face would turn into if she ever saw it. "…It'll never be revealed."

* * *

_**Present Time**_

_And I didn't say anything. Roy and I erased that scene from the video that very same day. But I guess seeing me give the girl CPR was too much for her. I mean…it was like a kiss. I guess I only kissed the girl, because I hadn't seen Samus in so long. But it still gave me no right. _Marth's thoughts came to a halt, when he saw Samus bring out a big brown box from her closet.

She carried it back over to where Marth was sitting. She grinned sheepishly at him, as she sat back down. "Though I said I threw things away, I actually stored it all in this box." She opened the box and opened up Marth's eyes to see the memories of their past.

"I can't believe you kept all this stored away. I thought for sure you would have a big bonfire and burn everything." Marth joked, as he looked into the box. He was amazed to see all the things that he had given to Samus were inside. He saw many pictures, gifts, and he laughed as he saw the self-portrait he made of himself in 1st grade.

"I still love it to this day," Samus said softly, looking at the picture. Marth went further into the box and pulled out something that made Samus' heart almost stop. It was a DVD Rom entitled, "Summer in France" It was the DVD that had ruined Samus' relationship with Marth. That one kiss from the girl. As soon as Samus saw that part, she immediately stopped watching the video. She never even finished it nor put it back in her player ever again.

Marth felt the same feeling Samus was experiencing that moment. It was funny how one little video could just ruin everything.

* * *

**Flashback (Less Than Two Years Ago)**

"Hey Sam!"

Seventeen-year-old Samus Aran looked up from her music theory homework. Her parents walked over to where she was sitting, happy looks on their faces. Or at least her mother looked happy. Mrs. Aran waved a vanilla envelope in front of her face. "Guess what you got in the mail today ,babe? It's from Marth! He sent you a gift."

Samus felt a large grin, plaster on her face. "Please don't joke around. You know how much I've missed him." Samus squealed as she watched her father nod. She took the envelope from her mother. "This must be the DVD from his summer vacation in France. I asked him to videotape everything. Let's watch it!"

When Samus watched the movie, she felt so relieved to see Marth was safe. There were some boring and then some funny parts of the film. But then…she didn't expect what she saw next. Samus watched as Marth dived into the ocean to save a drowning girl, at least this is what she gathered from Roy's tape. Her boyfriend had quickly brought the girl in to safety, making Samus proud of him to save her. But what she saw next made her just freeze her place. Samus felt paralyzed, as she watched Marth lips fall on the woman's.

Samus gasped, pausing the tape right on the two kissers. She didn't want to believe it was true. She was praying it was someone else. But there was no point in feigning. Marth had really kissed the girl, and Samus was punished by seeing the terrible scene. "No…way. How could he?"

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Marth! Are we going out to eat or what?" Carter Lowell had called out to his son. He was putting on an overcoat. "I'm gonna have a hangover from hunger if you don't hurry up."

"Hold on, Dad. I just want to see if…" Marth's words were interrupted from a beeping sound from his laptop. He looked to see, Samus had sent an email to him. He smiled, realizing Samus must have gotten his email. The letter was asking about how she was doing, if she got the DVD film, and if she enjoyed it. "Wait. I want to read the email Samus sent me! I haven't heard from her in such a long time." Marth opened the email, but he didn't expect to see that the contents of the letter ere full of anger and hatred.

_Marth-_

_Let me see if I can clarify what you asked me. You asked me what I thought about your film? Well, what the heck do you think I thought of it! You send me this BS and think I'll be happy with it. You really have no heart!_

_How dare you send me a video of you kissing some other girl! I don't know what possessed your mind to send me this! But if you think I'm smiling about that stupid video, you can think again! I never want to speak to you again, Marth Lowell! You cold heartless jerk!"_

Marth almost fell out of his chair as he read the email over and over again. This couldn't be Samus who sent this. His father was standing over him, reading the letter. Marth looked up at him, wondering what was going on. But he simply shrugged. Marth knew he left the CPR part on there, but he took the kiss right off the video. Was Samus getting uptight just for trying to save a girl's life?

Marth immediately sent a letter back to Samus, explaining the whole situation to her. He mentioned to her over and over again about how he was only giving the girl CPR. He didn't mention the "after kiss" that the woman gave him for saving him. Samus didn't take that long to reply back:

_Oh yeah like that was really CPR. I know a French kiss when I see one! Nice try, but I'm not a stupid blonde! Save yourself some trouble and just shut-up! I'm through with you! We're through!_

_You know, when you left my arms for the last time, I had the hope and belief that you would come back. Just like you promised. I put all my faith in you, knowing nothing would change between us. But then you go and pull something stupid like this. I guess this love we had wasn't meant to continue like you said, huh? I hope you and your equally idiotic lover are happy together. I don't want to see your face again._

"Whoa…" Carter Lowell said as he looked down at his equally shocked son. Marth couldn't believe it.

"Why doesn't she believe me? It really was CPR. Is this punishment for going along with that kiss?" Marth's hands were trembling against his computer.

Mr. Lowell placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Oh don't sweat it, Marth. You can try to explain it to her again. Though she may not listen, according to her letter. This only proves my point about that Aran family. They just cannot be taken seriously. They nitpick too much about the little things. You should have known their daughter would turn out the same."

Surprisingly, Marth didn't jump to defend Samus. He never would let his father speak hatefully about Samus while he was around. But at the moment, all he felt was a sudden bitterness towards her. He thought Samus would understand, but she was being selfish. She had never hurt Marth, as much as she did in that letter. He angrily pressed the reply button on the computer, planning to write a hateful email to Samus that she would never forget.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

_Samus-_

_You know what. I didn't want to send this email to you, but you just really surprise me. I never would've thought you were so possessive and selfish when it came to boyfriends. Like I said, no matter how much you want to stupidly go against it, it was just CPR! She wasn't breathing! Did you want me to let the girl just die?_

_Maybe it would be hurtful in my eyes if I were in you shoes, but I wouldn't hate you for it. Instead I would be proud, because you would've saved a life. But no, you only were thinking about the fact that I'm your boyfriend and I can't put lips on anyone else. Well…that's not the case. If anyone's in trouble, I will help! Besides, I'm sure you put your share of lips on a hundred boys since I left! That's the way you singing celebrities are! Kissing every male like the singing soon-to-be prostitutes you are! So maybe it's best this did happen. We really aren't meant for each other._

_You're better off on your own. Good-bye for good!_

Marth's email took Samus' rage to a whole new level. "Marth…YOU JERK!" Samus angrily grabbed her laptop and without thinking, threw her laptop against the wall. Samus could've sworn she heard several "cracking" noises from the computer after throwing it, but her blind anger stopped her from caring. She grabbed the laptop again, and started slamming it furiously against the wall over and over again. "STUPID! STUPID! I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"

In between her ranting her mother and father had entered the room. Mr. Aran tried to pry the laptop away from his daughter, but she refused as she screamed at him to let go. Mrs. Aran wrapped her arms around her shoulders trying to hold her down. Eventually Samus collapsed against her mother's body, falling on her knees and sobbing. Her mother stroked her hair, trying to console to the best of her abilities as she kept muttering how she hated Marth.

Samus felt, as if death was going to grasp her at any moment. She had never broken down this much in her life. "I loved him, Mom…I really did." She repeated to her mom over and over against her body. "I really did…"

Mr. Aran shook his head. "That family. I swear that they can't be trusted. They sweet-talk you and then they lure you in like kids with candy. Then you're stuck in your trap, until they grow tired of you." He clenched his fist. "Dropping you in the most horrible way possible."

"Darren!" Lydia snapped as Samus sobbed even harder. "You shouldn't even say anything like that…"

"No. It's true, Mom." Samus said through her sobs. "I'm such an idiot. I was set up to end up like this; the moment I said I loved him! If I could get those years back, I'd do it in an instant. But I'm going to be sentenced to remember this torment for the rest of my life. I'll never forgive him!

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"WHY!" Marth yelled, as he angrily swung his fist into the hallway mirror. The mirror was easily shattering. His right fist was covered in blood and it was dripping on the floor. He was fighting back his tears of hurt, by filling himself with pain. "Why… why…why!" he punched his fist through the sharp glass back and forth.

"I wasted my whole life with her!" Marth shouted. His father was watching from far away, not wanting to interfere. When Marth would get angry, he could become a complete rampaging animal. He may have been angry with Samus, but he would move his physical anger from the mirror to his father in seconds. It had happened before when Marth was turned down for a job. "She wasn't who I thought she was!"

Marth let out a yell and angrily took his foot and kicked the mirror as hard as he could. Every time he punched the mirror, it symbolized him punching away every good memory he had with Samus. But the mirror would only crack into smaller pieces, making Marth even more angry. There were too many good things, he just couldn't forget. The little mirror shards, resembled those unforgettable memories. There was no fighting it.

Marth banged his fists against the mirror. He slid against the mirror to floor, leaving a blood trail on the mirror, on his way down. He fell on the ground, and then his frustrated tears attacked his weakened body. "I can't forget her." He said, so low his father didn't hear him. "No matter how much it hurts that she didn't believe me. I can't forget her. I still love you, Samus."

* * *

**Present Time**

Samus slid to the floor as she clutched the video in her hands. She sighed and thought back on what happened after that day. Samus remembered crying for hours nonstop. She didn't leave the house for the rest of the summer nor did she focus on her music. She hardly spoke to her family or her friends.

She just stayed in her room, wrapped in her sheets. The pain of Marth's words left her in a critical state for at least a whole month. "I can still remember how shocked I was when I saw you kiss that girl on that tape," Samus said to Marth with a laugh. She didn't want him to see she was still skeptical. Marth wanted to argue and tell her it wasn't a kiss, but she continued. "I wanted to strangle you for looking like you enjoyed it. Luckily, Roy pulled you off before you got too intimate."

Marth's eyes widened. He got down on the floor, approaching Samus. "Did you say Roy pulled me off?" Samus nodded. "Wait. But that means you saw the whole kiss?"

Samus lowered her eyes at her boyfriend. "Do we have to go back to that again? I thought we were going to try to keep things smooth between us."

"But there might be an answer to all of this. Can I see your laptop for a sec, Sam?" Samus got her knees and edged across the floor to where her laptop was. She brought it down and placed it in front of the two of them. Marth held his hand out to her. "Can I see that DVD too? I promised this will make sense in a second." Marth placed the DVD in the CD-rom drive and waited for a screen to pop up.

Samus watched the screen show "Summer in France" on it. Marth clicked the play button with the laptop mouse for the movie to start and memories from the movie started to replay in Samus' mind. But Marth took the mouse of the laptop and started to fast-forward through the DVD. He stopped at the scene right after he had saved the French Girl from the water. Samus watched as the scene came once again:

"_There's no time for that. Why don't you give her CPR?" Roy had said on the video camera._

Marth looked at Samus turn smug and she turned away from the laptop and groaned. Marth looked at the screen and he gasped. It was still there. The scene where the brunette took full advantage over him and planted a kiss on him. He started to feel crummy as he watched the tape. "So that's what happened."

"What? You don't remember making out with that woman on the bench?" Samus accused him. She suddenly wanted to be far away from him.

Marth stopped looking at the video and gazed at Samus. "Who gave you this DVD?"

Samus looked at him puzzled. "That was so long ago. I don't remember who gave it to me. It was either my mom or dad. My dad said he went to go pick it up in the mail, so I guess it was him. The first time I saw it was when my mom gave it to me. She said it was from you and my dad just picked it up that morning," Samus explained. "But what's that have to do with anything?"

"This isn't the DVD I mailed to you. This is the default copy, from the actual video camera. The default has every single bit of what we recorded on there. Somehow you got this, instead of the one I made you." Marth sighed. "You should've gotten the version without the kiss. No wonder you were so PO'ed about it.."

"Wait, I was supposed to get the version hiding the kiss?" Samus grew suspicious when Marth nodded. "But wait. So you're saying if I did get the right version you were going to keep that kiss a secret from me?"

Marth coughed. He just now realized he had squeezed out a bit too much info. "I didn't want to tell you. We were doing so well as a couple. But it seemed that as soon as I went away, I started feeling lonely. So when that girl kissed me by surprise, I lost all my senses. I was thinking about how I hadn't kissed you in so long and I just wanted a moment to where I was desired by someone."

Marth's explanation didn't seem to be making Samus any happier with him. "It wasn't like I was _**happy**_ when I kissed her. My mind was on you the whole time." Samus lowered her eyes, knowing his lies. "Okay, maybe I felt happy for a moment. But afterwards, I felt like crap. You were the only person I ever kissed in my whole life and I felt like I betrayed you."

Samus sighed and leaned back against the bed. Marth thought for sure she was going to scold him. But instead, she simply smiled. "You know, I'm really glad you told me this. I was feeling the same exact way after you left. And well…I shared a kiss with a couple boys while you were away. I was yearning for that same touch that you were looking for," she chuckled as Marth stared at her in disbelief. "I'm as bad as you."

Samus leaned against his shoulder. "That day we were arguing, I shouldn't have said those things about you. Calling you heartless and saying I never wanted to see you again. Especially after I did the same thing. But I guess just seeing it with my eyes really hurt me." Samus felt a bit better as Marth nuzzled his head against her hair. "I really wanted to hate you after you tried to play like nothing was wrong. But even though I was mad, I still knew I loved you. Even after you wrote that rude email to me."

"Wait. What rude email?" Marth questioned.

Samus noticed the perplexed look on Marth's face. "You don't remember it? It was about well…hold on." She got out from under Marth's grasp and went into to her memoir box. She pulled out a white sheet of paper, neatly folded. She handed him the document. "I saved it. Read it yourself."

Marth took the note and read over it. He looked at Samus. "I did write this when I was furious at you. But I never did send and I never even called you these names. I would never even think of calling you something like that."

"You don't have to lie. It was how you were really feeling at that moment," Samus stated. "My bad attitude pushed you towards it."

Marth tried to explain the truth to her again. "Samus, I didn't..."

"Samus are you back there?" Mrs. Aran called. During the conversation, she had entered the apartment.

"Yeah!" Samus got up quickly and hurried over to the door. She jogged down the hallway to meet her mother. "What's up?" She called when she was far away from the bedroom.

Marth crossed his ankles and began to think. _I know for a fact I didn't send that letter. I remember because right after I wrote it, I left the house to go take a walk. But…if I recall correctly, after I got home from the walk it had mysteriously disappeared. I thought maybe I erased it and left it alone. But I couldn't have. Someone else must've…_

"Is it true? Marth!" A woman's voice. Marth knew it definitely wasn't Samus or Mrs. Aran. He readied himself to see whom the voice belonged to. Sure enough, his mom came running down the hallway and was now staring at Marth from the doorway. She looked as if she hadn't eaten in days. She was dressed in a long maroon colored jumper, with a short-sleeved ruffle top. Her hair was in a very messy black bun. "Oh my gosh. Marth!" Tears were leaking from her eyes.

Marth stood up as his mother entered the room. She quickly embraced him, weeping into his shoulders. Marth rubbed his mother's back. "Mother. I missed you a lot." Though Marth couldn't stand how protective Mrs. Lowell was of him, he understood this protection to be love.

"Don't you ever do that again," Sonia said through her sobs. "These days have been unbearable without you. I thought you really…" Her words were cut off by her uncontrollable sobs.

"I'm glad to see you're okay ,Marth," Mrs. Aran said, walking into the room with an arm around her daughter. Samus was snickering at Marth's embarrassed face, seeing his protective mother. Lydia laughed. "Sonia, you might want to let go of Marth before he turns from red to blue. How are you possibly going to be okay after Marth leaves for another mission?"

"Oh he won't ever again," Sonia replied. She finally released her son. "He's never going on a two year trip like that again. I told Carter to never sign him up for another one."

"Another one? You mean Dad signed me up for that trip?" Marth asked. _It always puzzled me, why I had this kind of duty. But…I didn't sign up for it. My dad did… But why exactly? He never liked my job so…_

"Oh!" Mrs. Aran walked over to where Samus had left her laptop. She dropped to her knees and squinted at the screen. "Hmm…is this the video from the vacation? Your father gave it back to you? I thought he threw it out."

"Um…no. This was in my memory box," Samus answered. "But what do you mean he threw it out? Are you sure it was this video?"

"I'm quite sure. Darren told me that you asked him to get rid of it. So he threw it out in the garbage a few days after we watched the video. I thought you were aware of it," Her mother explained.

Marth and Samus looked at each other. It couldn't be true. They wouldn't stoop that low would they? Marth watched his mother look at the video too. She smiled. "Oh. I remember this video. Carter showed me this while you were out on your walk, Marth."

"Right after I left?" Marth asked. Her mother nodded. "What was he doing in there?" He didn't know why, but suddenly he started to get skeptical of his own father.

"Well…while I was cleaning your room, your father came in and got on your computer for a while. Then after he was finished, he asked me if I wanted to see your video before he sends it off in the mail. So we watched it together in each other's embrace and…"

"Okay, Mother." Marth cut of his mother's dreamy romantic state. He scratched his chin as he started to put things together, _First the trip…now this. Why would my dad want to send me on a two year trip? It just doesn't make any sense. Then I find out he sent my video home to Samus' place. But since I sent the edited video of my trip here too, that means there must've been two DVD's here of the trip. But Mrs. Aran threw out one of the versions. The one I sent._

"Excuse me." Samus suddenly commented. She approached Marth and grabbed his hand. "I need to talk to Marth for a sec. We'll be right back." She tugged him out of the bedroom and down the small hallway. Marth didn't know what was going on in Samus' head, but he followed after her. Samus finally came to a halt when they were in the kitchen. "Marth…you do realize what happened right?" She asked as she turned to face him.

Marth nodded. He started from the beginning. "I wasn't supposed to get a two year job away from Nintendo. But somehow my dad signed me up for one. Separating you from me. Things seemed to be in order until after that incident with the drowning woman. Right when I showed that video to my parents, my dad took full advantage of it."

He continued. "He sent my default DVD with the kiss on it to your house. This led you to getting angry with me. But after I left to take a walk, my dad took the email I wrote and added a few things to it. He's the one who wrote "soon-to-be singing prostitute" on it. Then he sent it to you to make sure you would never want to speak to me again."

Samus nodded. "This all could've been avoided if I was allowed to come and see you over the vacation. But my dad planned to make me stay here, so not to interfere. When your actual video arrived, he trashed it quickly. It would have ruined everything." Samus banged her fist against the kitchen table. "I can't believe this. All these things happened to us just because of their stupid rivalry!"

"I know." Marth started. "As terrible as it is to say, your father and mine were working together. They put this whole plan together to make us break up."

**End of Chapter**

* * *

**A/N: **_Ah…so there were culprits who set up Sammie and Marthie's break up. The two rival fathers did it. What an exciting find! But how will they handle this. Heh..heh…I lied you guys. A small scene will be left for these two at the beginning chapter, then that will be it! No more! It will definitely focus on the other chapter. Errors, concerns, wonders, ponders, or anything else. Please be sure to tell me. I'll be glad to clear it up. Like this whole discovery Marth and Samus find out. I'll tell you, if you're way confused! So now this couple will be small time. So, DDR next chappie! Yay!_

_Anyway thanks for your reviews, faves, and sweetness. But also, I love how you guys fave the stories, but please don't hesitate to drop a review by. I love your comments! So please review and I'll try to get a sooner update!_

_**Royal Kenya**_


	15. Chapter Fourteen

_You know I had an author's note for you guys! But now it got deleted and I'm sad now and I won't be writing it again. Sorry. But I'm sorry for being gone for so long and thank you for your reviews and for faving this story. _

_Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter and please tell me if you see any mistakes!_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

Link felt a small smile curve onto his lips while walking through the arcade with Zelda following. He had to admit he wasn't sure if he could convince the dancer so easily. But just as Link suspected, dancers with big egos are easy to trap. Zelda was glancing around her surroundings, seeming to take in the ambience. Link couldn't believe someone with such beauty could be so despicable on the inside.

"So your best thoughts of beating me were on a video game called _**DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION**_. Are you sure that's even wise?" Zelda interrupted Link's thoughts.

"Exactly. Sure it's only a stepping game that doesn't involve not a lot of movement, I figured it was the right choice. I didn't want to humiliate you too badly in some real dancing." Link retorted.

Zelda shook her head. "I think you have the words a little mixed up. Only person walking out of here with a win is yours truly," Zelda commented. "Remember the last time you got too full of yourself when you challenged me."

"I thought we agreed on we were equals."

"You thought wrong. I don't know how many times I have to tell you, it was just a bad day. Otherwise you would've bowed down to my skills." Zelda looked further ahead towards the machine. "Isn't that the game right there?" There it was, the DDR game system. There was only one pair of the machines; just enough for the two get in a good round.

"Alright, I already got some quarters in the machine. So how about I start up the machine for you, huh? I'll even pay for you."

"My, my, aren't you the big spender?" Zelda sarcastically replied. She stepped onto the machine looking at neon like device. She watched the video game give a demo instruction on how the game works. The screen snapped to the "**INSERT 3 MORE COINS**" screen, 2 more…1 more… "**PRESS START**"

"**HOW MANY PLAYERS**?" The video game blared, bringing Zelda and Link to attention. Link and Zelda pressed their own individual start buttons to present their presence. **"PICK A SONG"**

Link looked over at Zelda, as she was removing her platform-like wedged sandals. She placed her clean and neatly polished feet back on the machine. Link noticed there was a gold anklet around her right ankle. He only got a glance of it, before it hid once again. "So, you being the guest of honor, what kind of song would you like to dance too? Pop? Latino? Techno? Your choice."

Zelda thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Whatever you think will possibly give you a starting edge against me. I don't want to have to murder you in this game." She crossed her arms and waited for the other blonde to select a song.

Link finally stopped at a song. "Okay, I've got one, but before we start do you want to get some instructions on how to play? I don't think it would be fair to…"

Zelda laughed at Link, shaking her head. She saw him looking at her funny. "What? You thought I needed help learning this game? Do you know who I am?"

"Well…I thought someone like you from your high standards, wouldn't be able to understand the game. I mean to you, this must be child's play." Link explained.

Zelda nodded. "You're right. This really is on the kid side. But I bet you were expecting me not to know what the game is. Well for your 4-1-1 Gaiden, I've had my kid days. And if there was any game we had in our family arcade, it was definitely this one." Zelda tapped on the machine. "I always would play this game. Now I see what you were trying do."

The blonde male held a hand up. "No, no, allow me to do it." He turned his back to Zelda. "How dare you, Gaiden?" Link scolded himself, playing the role of Zelda. "You thought you would have an advantage over me, thinking I didn't know how to play the game. But I'm an expert! I'm a DDR stepping prodigy!"

Link smirked, seeing Zelda's angered look. Those were the exact words going on in her head. "There, I saved you the energy of scolding me with your high standard ways."

Zelda narrowed her eyes so close that they looked closed. " Just start the game so I can get out of here," she muttered, pulling her hair back with the hair-tie around her wrist.

"With pleasure, milady." Link was getting a wonderful kick out of this. He couldn't contain his smile as the game started up and the cheering rang.

**Samus' Apartment**

"I just don't understand how you two, our fathers, could plan something behind our backs like this!"

"Marth…" Samus said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. Marth feeling Samus' soft touch eased his angered adrenaline. He sighed angrily, and gripped her hand with his left. He looked over at the two victims of his anger sitting on the couch. Samus' father was sitting with his head down, hands on his knees. He looked ashamed, but Marth wasn't going to trust him so he looked at his own father Carter Lowell. He didn't seemed fazed by any of the words, Marth had said to the two of them since they had arrived. But that was how he always tried to act, all calm about everything. When Samus and Marth had explained all the information they had found out about their schemes, the two rivaled music producers turned as white as snow. They eventually had to confess to everything and this left shock upon both Lydia Aran's and Sonia Lowell's mothers were sitting on a couch away from their husbands. They seemed disgusted with the two.

"Carter. If I had known anything about how you were trying to hurt these two…" Mrs. Lowell started lividly.

"Don't start, Sonia. I don't need a lecture from another family member. I really don't know why we're still here. The two found out the truth and now everything should be hunky-dory."

"No, Dad. It's not. You brought your stupid rivalry into our lives, making us break up. He and you did it for your own selfish gain," Marth retorted.

Samus squeezed Marth's shoulder, calming him down again. She looked over at her father, an emotionless look on his face. Compared to Marth's own dad, Mr. Aran looked guilty. "Dad, I know you and Mr. Lowell had a rivalry and that made you want to end connections with their family. But, I thought you would be the one to understand, there was no reason for Marth and me to be bothered by this."Compared to him, Samus was taking a more calm approach. But Marth knew it was because she was hurt deep inside. She had a much stronger tie to her dad, than Marth did with his own. She loved him dearly, no matter what. No matter how much verbal abuse she suffered from her Dad, she continued to love him.

"Samus…I was just…I couldn't stand it. I didn't want you to get hurt by another person like Carter. He had been playing games with me since the very beginning." Mr. Aran explained.

"Why would I be anything like him?" Marth snapped, pointing a finger at his dad in disgust.

"The apple doesn't fall from the tree, boy. When you get older you will follow the same path as him." Mr. Aran replied, getting an angered look from Carter. "It's a family tradition amongst your kind."

"Don't act like you're some kind of saint, Aran. You were there from the beginning planning how to break the two of them apart. You even were trying to keep Lydia away from Sonia. You're too possessive of the women in your family!" Mr. Lowell blurted out.

Mrs. Aran's eyes widened, "Darren," she said in a whisper.

Marth felt the Samus' grip on his shoulder start to tremble. The conflict was finally taking a toll on her. He removed her hand from his shoulder and let it fall into his hand. He laced his hand with hers protectively, indicating he would take it from here. He sighed, trying to attempt a calm demeanor. "Look. Even though I hate to say it, what's done is done. Obviously Sam and I can't go back and reclaim those lost years, so we'll move forward. But I swear, if either of you ever attempt to keep Samus away from me again…"

"And what? You plan on turning us in to the police?" Mr. Lowell, beckoned his own son. "Marth, you're taking this too seriously. If you want us to let your little relationship be, it's as simple as saying so. All this other crap is unnecessary. Can we just get back to normal lives now?"

"Unfortunately, no it can't." He looked over at his mother, knowing she would freak once he made his announcement. "By next week, all my stuff is going to be moved to my new apartment. I'm moving out."

"Marth!" As the twenty-one year old expected, his mother was the first to shout out. Tears were already escaping her eyes. "Honey, you can't be serious? I know this thing has gotten a little crazy, but that doesn't mean you have to…"

"Mother, I've been planning this move for a long time. I had the apartment already bought and everything. I was just waiting for a good excuse to bring it up. No time could've been better than this."

"Oh, so I guess you're thanking us for breaking you two up then? Well, you're welcome," Mr. Lowell said with an angered smirk, making his son only more raged with him.

"I would if you deserved it. I swear, this has got to be one of the best things that has happened to me in my life!" Marth retorted. "I'll be out of your house in no time."

"Good! Get your damn stuff, and get the hell out of my home! I don't need trash stinking up my family!" Carter answered.

"Trust me, you have no arguments here." Marth was going to continue, but his mother let out another sob. She looked up at him, not even trying to hide her tears, "Marth! Why are you doing this!" She didn't even wait for a response, as she stood and bolted out the front door. Samus' mother was going to get up, but Marth beat her to it and jogged out after her. Marth glanced around quickly, seeing his mother already halfway down the hallway. "Mother!" He called, as he sped to catch her.

Samus looked over at Mr. Lowell, who stood up with an angered look on his face. "_Damned child._" He muttered under his breath, as he left out the front door. He didn't acknowledge the Aran family as he slammed the door shut. Samus sighed and turned to her family still in the room.

"So what other news do you have for us?" Mr. Aran said, in a bit of an angered tone. "You're not planning to move out to live with him are you?" Even Samus' mother looked up at that question, hoping that wouldn't be true.

"No. I'm still staying here. But who knows for how long," Samus explained. She sat down next to her father. "Right now. I'm just worried about Marth's family and ours also. Dad this rivalry isn't fair to Marth and I. You know we…"

"..are in love with each other! I've heard that bit several times now!" Mr. Aran cut his daughter off. "You don't have to…"

"Then you shouldn't have bothered us. You at one time, approved of us going together but now you just changed." Samus crossed her arms. "Dad, I don't want us to argue because you are my best friend. I don't want to fall out like Marth is with his own father." She raised her body up, and slowly hugged her father. "I don't want you to argue with Mom anymore." Samus added as her mother came to sit on the couch next to her. "I want this family to be strongly united. I don't want anyone hating each other. Sometimes, I feel like the only way I keep us together, is if I continue singing. So that's what I'll do."

"Sammie. If you don't wish to sing…" Her mother started.

"No, I really want to, Mom. So please, both of you. Just promise me you'll never try to hurt me like this again, " Samus said. Her father returned her embrace, indicating he was going to keep that promise. She already knew her mother was on her side. It seemed everything was in Samus' favor at the moment.

_Hopefully. _She thought to herself._ I can keep it this way._

**The Hostel**

"Ooh yeah! " Peach exclaimed, with a confident laugh. "You are so going down now, Roy!"

Roy smirked. "You wish!" He snapped back, before turning back to the screen. The two were in the middle of a video game. It was actually a fighting game that the two of them really loved. It was a routine for the two of them to play this game at least once a day. "Face it! I'm Law Marshall, master of combat! My martial arts will tear you up! I'm unbeatable! WAAH!" Roy yelled a karate noise.

"Please. Law doesn't stand a chance against me, Nina Williams! I'm tough, beautiful, and a cold hearted assassin! I'll kick your butt all the way back to China!" Peach pressed a few buttons and used a strong attack. "Hyaah!"

Roy grinned, as Peach got into the game. He had told her, it's no fun to just sit there and let the characters have all the fun! So they started to play the game as an acting cast. Roy remembered how earlier, how Roy was a panda bear, and Peach was a wrestler named King. It was funny to hear the blonde act like a professional wrestler and he roared his bear roars!

His thoughts had cover him so badly, he had lost concentration on the game and Peach was getting close to emptying his "HP" bar.

"Oh what's wrong, Law? Getting a little rusty in your old age!" Peach exclaimed when she was only a few points away from winning! "I knew I was too much for ya!"

"Ha! Don't get cocky, Nina!" Roy exclaimed, as he readied himself for his special "Kill quick" move. He pressed the buttons correctly and saw the yellow glow charge in his game character Law's right hand. "Wait for it and…" Roy smirked, as Peach brought her character close to him, to give him a final kick. He dodged it and… "BAM! PERFECT AIM!"

Peach dropped her control, and watched as Law's attack, hit Nina square in the chest, taking her halfway full bar down to nothing and she had lost. "Roy!" She threw a nearby pillow at her friend. "You did it again! That is so unfair! Why don't you do something else?"

Roy laughed. "Cuz, I love when you think you're almost about to win! Let's face it, Peach! I'm a champ!" Roy flexed his muscles before looking back at the screen. "Ooh, look at that replay!"

Peach was going to attack Roy. But she turned around to see Krystal and Fox had entered the lounge with bags in their hands. Peach smiled, as she looked over at Krystal. "Did you get them?"

"Yep! I got Roy's actions movies and our movie. The Notebook!" Krystal said with a squeal.

"Ooh! Sweet!" Peach exclaimed. "I've wanted to see that movie for ages!"

"Meh… chick flick…OW!" Roy shouted, when Peach elbowed him hard in the ribs. He rubbed them in agony. "Jeez! I think you've spent way too much time around Nina."

"Well," Krystal started, responding to Roy's earlier comment. "Chick flick or not, we're watching it first. Fox lost the privilege to watch your movies, by a game of  
"Rock, Paper, Scissors." "

Fox look shamefully down at his feet. "Sorry, man. She's better at the game than she looks."

"You're a shame to all men everywhere." Roy turned the video game off. He took Peach's control and started wrapping it off. "Females should never beat males in the game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" We're suppose to dominate every time."

"Whatever." Krystal answered. "By the way, Peach. On our way in, we saw someone at the door asking for you. You might want to check n' see if they're still there. It's a girl who said she knows you from the modeling studio."

"Oh, okay." She stood to her feet and walked out the way Krystal and Fox had entered earlier. It only took a few seconds for Peach to see her new friend, Daisy.

Daisy smiled, seeing Peach. "Hey darlin'. Do you know how hard it was to find your little ranch? I've been lookin' for ya all day, gurl." Daisy spoke in her unique accent.

"Sorry, but I really wasn't expecting you." Peach replied. "So…what brings you here to ole murky Shasta Towers? Can't be the great interior design."

"Oh…please girlie-gurl." Daisy said with a laugh, looking around the hostel. "You should see my home. Nothing but the dusty roads entertains my hometown. But that's how life is when you're an adorable lil' farm girl." Daisy looked back down, at Peach. Her eyes were sparkling. "I actually came to tell you that lil' adorable pup Luigi finally asked me out. I swear he was as scared as snails are of salt. Red as a tomato he was."

"But he did it?" Peach smiled as Daisy nodded. "Congratulations to you both. Have you guys gone out on a date yet?"

"Not yet. With Jim working my little Luigi boo like a dog, he just doesn't have enough time to see me until Friday. He's taking me to some real Five Star restaurant. Me, being a small time gal, am really excited about this."

"Well that sounds cool." Peach said softly. But she kept wondering to herself, why Daisy had come over just to tell her that news.

"I know! But I want to share this moment with you too. That's why I made it a double date! Luigi said it would be swell if you could come with your boy toy."

"Boyfriend?" Peach echoed. "Daisy, I told you that I'm single. Remember?"

"Right, right. Well can't you bring a guy friend along? Like the person you were chattin' with right before the photo shoot? He sounded like a real sweetie pie. What did you say his name was?"

* * *

"I'm going to get some popcorn. Gotta preoccupy myself somehow while the rest of you are bawling your eyes out during the flick," Roy said, as he exited out the room. He sighed. _I would have rather seen something else. Like some full throttle road rage movie. But I guess we gotta make do with the girls' choice. Better get some tissues. Hmm…though with movies like this, girls need shoulders to cry on._ Roy started to picture Peach nuzzling against his shoulder.

"Roy, that's right."

Roy's ears perked up to the sound of a voice he didn't recognize. It was coming from the front lobby. He peered past the door to see Peach talking to a brunette. She had seemed to mention his name and now Roy was drawn to the conversation.

"So here's the deal. Just ask him to go out on the date with you. If you say he's your best friend I'm sure he won't turn you over like a flapjack."

" I know that," Peach started. "But it would feel so weird to come out of the blue and ask my best friend to go out on a date with me. In fact, it would be down right embarassing. Though I know if I go with him, we really will have a great time. So maybe I can."

"Rightie, Darlin'." The girl said. "Roy would really love it, if you ask him to be your date for this event. Plus, I won't feel like a lost needle in a haystack, if you're there with me. Friday will be a night to remember."

"Okay…I'll ask him." Peach said with a smile.

Roy stepped away from the door, lost in a dreamy state. Peach's new friend seemed to be having some sort of gathering, involving dates. And it seemed Peach was going to ask him. Roy. He was going to be her first choice. All this time, he thought it would be him who would confess feelings first. But Roy knew he was sure of it now. Peach liked him as much as he liked her. He felt himself beaming as he wandered off into the kitchen.

Peach sighed and twirled a finger through her blonde locks. "Yeah. I'll just ask him about it soon I guess," she said monotonically. She felt Daisy's blue eyes staring at her own. "What is it?" she asked.

"You don't seem like you're happy with that decision at all, Peachie." Daisy commented. Girls in my hometown would be giddy and excited about things like this. You're not tellin' me somethin'."

Peach crossed her arms, looking around to make sure no one else was listening. "The truth is this, Daisy. As much fun as it would be to take Roy with me, I can't. I've known he's had like the biggest crush on me for the longest and I just don't feel the same way about him. I think if I ask him to attend this with me, I'm leading him on."

"Hmm…well that would put the icin' on the cake, would it? Well lil Missy, I guess if you really don't care for Roy in the way you do, you'll just have to find another date. I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts. It would be hurtful to him," Daisy responded. "But do you have anyone in mind?"

"Yes I believe I do. I just met him, but I think this'll be just the perfect icebreaker. I'll be sure to ask him later." Peach wondered how Falcon would feel about this. Was he interested in going to a luxurious restaurant and on a double date?

"Please do. I'm as nervous as a puppy in water, when I'm around Luigi." Daisy looked at her watch. "But I gotta get home and clean house. Catch you later, Peachie." Daisy waved as she headed out the front door. "I'll call you when I have more info on the time and place!"

"Right!" Peach said as the door closed. She walked back towards the lounge and peered into the room. Krystal, Roy, and Fox stared back at her. She smiled innocently. "Sorry. We were just talking about modeling and stuff. What did I miss?"

"Nothing. The movie just started," Roy said, as he patted down a seat next to him. Peach gladly took the seat next to him and sat quietly with the others. She felt herself taking a few glances at Roy. At one point, she stared at him for a long time, making him stare back at her with a raised eyebrow. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Peach said, before turning her gaze back to the screen. _Why? I just don't understand. I've been invited to very quaint evening with friends and I'm going to ask Falcon to come with me. But why does it seem like it's just wrong? Like I'm betraying Roy. I can't tell him about this date. There's nothing wrong with that right?_

**The Arcade**

Zelda readied herself, as the upbeat music started to play. The cheering from the video game was being canceled out by the sound of the rising music. The neon lights of the screen were pretty distracting, but she did her best to focus on the arrows reaching the top.

"Hope you're ready to get taught a lesson in DDR." Link shouted over the loud music.

"Just watch your footing, Gaiden. One false step will make your score drop below mine.' Zelda replied back as the game quickly started with a bang. She stepped her right foot onto the right arrow easily as the music really began to start.

_I felt my life, has been nothing but pain  
__Parents misunderstanding me, routine the same  
__Try to keep myself up, but they pull me down_

_They tell me I'm not cute  
__They tell me I'm not smart  
__Love from them is never  
__true from the heart_

The steps started to get a bit more complicated for the heiress, but she was staying at top claiming praises of "Perfect" from the video game. She caught herself spying at Link through the corner of her eye. He seemed to be keeping up with Zelda's rapid steps. In sync, just like when they were dancing in class the other day.

Link was careful to watch every arrow that appeared on cue. He made sure not a single one would not be left out. Though a couple may have slipped by, he was doing his best to level with Zelda. He found himself smiling as the music started getting faster, making him have to move his heavy feet to a quicker pace.

_My life seemed like it was destined to fail (Fail)  
__Soon to be strangled by the flames of hell (Hell)  
But you came just at the right time  
__Making me once again feel that I'm alive_

_Since I've been with you, I've been smilin' lately  
__I'm never feelin' blue, but feelin' lovely  
__I know your love is true, don't leave me baby  
__For I know it's only you, who keeps me happy_

The blazing good remarks from the video game brought the other inhabitants in the arcade over to the DDR machine. All of them crowded around the two DDR steppers and stared in astonishment at their flawless moves.

"Look at them go!" One boy said.

"Are they like professional dance steppers? Mega cool!" some girl said with a squeal.

"There points are so evenly matched!" another person said.

"Hear that Zellie? Evenly matched!" Link shouted to his opponent. "Seems like we really are equals."

_Trust in my friends, I could never hold  
__My secrets I tell them, only to be told  
__They laugh at my dreams, with no care  
__Faith in myself leaves me, lost in the air_

_They tell me I'm hopeless  
__They tell me I'm weird  
__The friends I thought I had  
__Were ones I now feared_

"Hmph! The score will tell in the end!" Zelda hollered back, still heavily concentrating on the game before her. The music cut into the band solo, indicating they were at the bridge of the song. It was heavy rock, but mainly techno sounding music. Zelda was aware of this music, having her own DDR at home. But it was still a very difficult game that required attention.

"Wow, you really good sir!" Zelda slightly glanced through the corner of her eye, to see a girl at the age of at least thirteen gawking at and praising Link's movements.

"Thanks! But watch this!" Suddenly Link started to move his arms, and instead of just stepping on the pads, he started adding his own rhythmic dance movements, while still keeping up with the steps of the game. He threw in a couple of 180-degree turns and a few hand jives, wowing the audience. "I know." Link said, addressing the crowd. "Pure talent!"

Zelda's eyes widened at how Link was presenting himself. Was he trying to show her up, make her look like a wannabee? No way. She laughed. "You call those moves Gaiden? It's no wonder, you're not as great as me." She just like Link, started to move her hands and dance in a more beautiful and elegant way. One thing unique she did from her opponent was she added unique vogue poses to her steps. She would lift her foot occasionally doing some ballet moves.

"Ballet huh?" Link smiled. He then mimicked her exact, ballet moves but in the masculine form. He was almost as graceful as Zelda, with a few minor slips. But then he suddenly changed his moves, to breakdancing fast pace moves getting more praise from mostly the girl fans, but also the other males. "I know breakdancing isn't your genre."

"You would think that!" Zelda had watched Link's moves, the moment he had started. Right away she copied the break dancing moves, with her feet still in step with the game. She was able to do wave vibes with her arms, and various other breakdancing moves she had heard about. They were more sexual than graceful, getting cheers from male fans, but they were fabulous nonetheless.

"Impressive, Miss Zellie." Link answered. "But it's time to get serious, cuz the points are about to show!"

"I said it once, and I'll say it again. It's Zelda to you, Gaiden." Zelda said, as the chorus of the song started up again. "Get ready to lose the bet."

_My life seemed destined to fail (Fail)  
__To burn in the flames of hell (Hell)  
But you came just at the right time  
__Making me once again feel that I'm alive_

_Since I've been with you, I've been smilin' lately  
__I'm never feelin' blue, but feelin' lovely  
__I know your love is true, don't leave me baby  
__For I know it's only you, who keeps me happy_

The ending of the song was fast. The sneaky last dance step, tried to get by Zelda and Link. But the steppers stepped onto the right pad, at the right time. Both of them received a perfect, and the song came to an end.

**COMPLETE!**

The screen changed to the scoring page. Link and Zelda looked at their points, both anxious to see who was the best. The little numbers started to ascend to their correct amount of points. The still surrounding people, got closer to the screen, almost as anxious as Link and Zelda were to see who was the winner. The numbers started to slow…and slow…and slow…and slow…then…one number set stopped.

Zelda's points had stopped.

Zelda's mouth hung open, as she saw Link's score go up a little more before coming to a complete stop. He was at least 50 or more points ahead of her. This ordinary, annoying man had beaten her. "I…I…"

"Let me clarify it for you." Link said, as he pointed to Zelda's screen. "Your score is lower than mine. Meaning mine is higher than yours. Putting two and two together, that equals me, Link Gaiden, age 21, blonde hair and blue eyes, to be known to you as the one who just beat you at DDR!"

There were a few cheers in the background while the crowd was fading out.

"I knew the guy was going to win! The girl seemed to be slipping at the end!" one girl said.

"Oh I wanted her to win!" said another female.

Link smiled, as he saw the shocked look on Zelda's face. Her face seemed to be trembling, as if she had just lost something precious. Maybe her dancing pride? The blonde male waited for the crowd to dissipate before speaking once again. "So, numbers don't lie. I really won." He laughed happily. "I beat you!"

Zelda closed her eyes, and groaned. "For Pete's sake. It's just a game. Don't start acting like a loon in public." She reached for her shoes, resting at the side of the machine and started to put them on. She didn't like this one bit. Ever since Zelda had become a pro at DDR she had never lost a match, except maybe a few times to Peach in their childhood years. But she had improved much since that time.

"Aww… I think someone here is a little touchy, since they lost." Link said in a childish voice. "You don't take defeat easily, do you?"

"I said it was just a game!" Zelda snapped. "You won, I lost! Stop talking about it okay!" She slipped on her last sandal, before standing to her feet once again. "I don't think there's anything else we need to talk about!"

"Oh but there is…" Link said with a smirk. He gently grabbed her arm, making sure she wouldn't try and leave. She looked back at him, with angered sapphire blue eyes for touching her. But Link didn't lose his grip. "We had a bet remember? So, since you lost I won't be leaving you alone."

"Right! So what are you going to do now?" Zelda lividly yanked her arm away from Link's grasp. "What do you want for the bet? Money? Cars? To annoy me for all eternity?"

"Heh…what do you think I am? A rich snob like you?" Link retorted with a laugh.

"Gaiden!" Zelda pointed her pink polished right index finger right in Link's face. "I'm warning you! I'm not gonna be the nice person I am, if you keep pushing me!"

Link held his hands up in defense. "Alright, alright! Chillax, Miss Z. I…" Link laughed nervously, as Zelda's face started to form into the glare of the Devil. "Okay, it's Zelda. Got it. Look, I'm not a jerk, even if you want to label me as one. I still have my morals. But I do want something from you."

"If you want me to do something humiliating, you can forget it." Zelda was starting to wish she had asked earlier what Link's side of the bet was going to be. Who knew what devious plot he had up his sleeve. Zelda flinched, as she saw him lift up four fingers. "Wh-what?"

"Four hours." Link said in a clear whispered. His aquamarine eyes, stared right into her eyes. Just like how Link had approached Zelda earlier today, he had that same serious look on his face. It scared Zelda, to know what was going on in his head when he had that face. "On Friday, at six o' clock. All I want is four hours of your time to be spent with me."

"What? With you?" Zelda repeated. "Why?

"Like I told you earlier last Friday when I was in your dance class. I feel there's something very interesting about you. So I would just like to spend four hours together to get to know you a little better,"

Zelda cocked up an eyebrow. "Oh. So this is for your own dumb research on discovering anything about me, huh? So…you're going to have hooked up to a machine in a lab, Professor Gaiden," she said as an insult.

"Oh you're just a delight, Zelda. If you want to call it 'observing you as an experiment', you can say that. Whatever puts money in your pocket as I say. But I was just trying to make it sound less like well…"

"Oh so it's a date?" Zelda blurted out. Link shut his mouth, willing to listen to Zelda's words. "Well I'm sorry to say, I'm not one who falls in love with a man through a forced date."

Link started having a laughter fit. "Oh jeez!" He said, as he shook his head. "You really are paranoid. I didn't say a single thing about a date. Didn't you say the same thing that last time at the concert too? You must really want to go out with me."

Zelda's face flushed a deep red color. That was the second time she did say that aloud. She turned away to hide her blushing. "Shut up! Don't be ridiculous! No one would even want to do something so humiliating."

Link smirked. "I beg to differ. But say what you want. It would just be a day, of talking and getting to know each other. That's all I want out of you and you cannot ignore me during those four hours. That's another part to the bet." Link lifted his arms behind his head and stretched. "Unless you aren't a woman of your word."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "I am, even though I really hate you for tricking me." She held out her hand and let him shake it. "I'll do it. But I can't promise you I'll be giving you any true information."

"I'll know if it's the truth or not." Link said, releasing her hand. "I've been known to figure out the liars from the saints. So Friday night at six it is!"

"Friday night is what?"

Zelda turned, expecting to see someone at her height. But Young Link turned out to be slightly at waist height. He was looking at Zelda, with a rather angered look on his face. Zelda knew she only talked to him once, so what was with the look?

Link answered his little brother. "Nothing. Zelda just lost a bet, and now she has to subdue to my will. Well...hang out with me on Friday anyway!"

Young Link looked from Link to Zelda, to back to Link. He lowered his eyes. "Why are you hanging out with her? Isn't she always an evil witch to you?"

Zelda coughed, feeling insulted by the little boy's comment. She turned to Link, narrowing her eyes. "So, you've been telling him to call me names huh?" She simply turned back to the younger brother. "I would respond to you, but I don't speak to minors with rodents," she sneered.

Young Link made a small growling noise, clutching Pikachu closer to him. Link looked down at Pikachu, and the Pokémon didn't seem to have his same spark anymore. His cheeks seemed pale and he just didn't seem very energetic. Link was getting ready to ask about Pikachu, when Zelda cleared her throat.

"Look, Gaiden. I think I've spent more than enough time with you for one day. I'm going to retire. Why don't you do something and treat that little brat some manners!" As Zelda got off the machine, she felt a push with great force on her back. She let out a small yelp, as she felt her leg scratch against the game, scraping some skin off. She flipped around, to see Link had already grabbed Young Link's arm.

"Young Link!"

"She was being mean!"

"Mean?" Zelda said in an annoyed tone. How tired she was of hearing that from everyone in Nintendo. "Compared, to the people in this world, you'll find out I'm one of the nicest people you'll ever meet in life. Ugh…good-bye to both of you!" She snapped, before storming out of the arcade her strapped purse flapping along with her.

"Young Link…" Link said as he sat his brother down. "What's wrong with you? I've never seen you act like this."

Young Link gave his brother, a saddened look. "I'm sorry big brother. I…I didn't mean to. But I don't like it when people are mean to me or you," he said in a whimper.

"Oh don't worry about it, scamp." Link said, as he ruffled his. He took Pikachu from his little brother's arms. "Now what's wrong with you, little guy?"

"I don't know." Young Link answered for Pikachu, who was now chirping weakly in Link's arms. "He's been acting sick all day. I think he ate too much cafeteria food."

"Well you know what those cafeterias can do to you." Link stood, still holding the Pokémon. "Come on let's head back home and get him in bed. Maybe PK just needs a little sleep."

"Hopefully." Young Link said, as the two of them started to exit out of the arcade. As they went out on the street Young Link looked up at his brother. "Big Brother?"

"Hmm?"

"You're not…you…aren't really going to hang out with that Zelda lady are you?" He asked quietly. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Oh don't worry about it, Young Link." Link reassured his little brother with his signature smile. He looked at the setting sun as they walked down the street towards home. "If anything, I think it's going to be pretty interesting."

His eyes fell to the concrete as he spied something shiny. Link crouched down to see it was a gold piece of jewelry. Link heard Young Link ask what it was, as he picked it up but he didn't answer. He inspected it and realized it was Zelda's gold anklet she was wearing around her foot earlier. He assumed it must've weakened when Young Link shoved her into the game, and fell off when she reached the street. Link knew he would have to return it.

But as he stared harder at the jewelry he noticed there was a white moon charm connected to the chain. Something was engraved on the little charm. He read it :

"Solara" Link muttered to himself. He knew that was the fictional Goddess of the Sun. But why would her name be on the moon? They were two opposites. If anything the charm should have said the Moon Goddess "Luna's" name on it. Unless there was a part missing from Zelda's charm. And if that were the case where was that charm or even anklet?

**End of Chapter**

* * *

**A/N:** _Hmm...much shorter chapter than usual. So...much is going on. Peach is planning on going on a double date with Daisy and Luigi. But who will she really end up asking to go with her? Roy or Falcon? You'll know soon. And now Zelda has lost DDR! Yay! So she's going on a little outing with our dude Link! I know I keep putting people on dates, but there's a reason for that when the time comes. So...Conflicts galore? Plus some pondering mysteries and questions if you were following along._

_So yes! That is everything! Hopefully the next chapter will be mucha quicker! Thanks for reading and please leave a review!_

**Royal Kenya**


	16. Chapter Fifteen

_Hey guys! Sorry it was a really long wait! I know some people really were aching to see the next chappie! Sorry I got preoccupied this week with work, Twlight Princess, packing, Twilight Princess, bills for college, Twilight Princess, Twilight Princess and Twilight Princess. See I just got a Wii a few weeks ago and I've been really obsessed with the game lately! I'm excited because I beat the Snowpeak level yesterday!(I love that ball and chain) Yay me! So to celebrate I decided to finish this chapter! So here you are!_

_Thanks for The Reviews!_

_Please Enjoy!_

_If any mistakes, feel free to tell!_

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen **

**Thursday Afternoon**

Peach sighed, walking towards one of the ladies' bathrooms. There was one more class before Peach would have to see her friends at lunch. Why did Thursday seem like Doom's Day to her? Maybe because it was the day before the double date with Daisy, Luigi, and whoever she would pick to be her date for the occasion. She pushed open the marble door and peered inside the bathroom.

She was surprised to see Samus Aran was in the bathroom. It was rare to see any familiar faces during the school hours. She was straightening her school uniform type outfit. It was a blue jean skirt ending high above her knees. But it wasn't considered skimpy, since she had black leggings covering her long legs. Over her elbow length white collared-top was a black skintight sweater vest, with an "S" embroidered at the top right hand corner of her top.

Samus was placing a clip in her loose hair, when she saw Peach. She gave her a warm smile. "Hey you. Never thought I'd see you during class hours."

Peach casually returned the smile before walking over to where her friend was standing. Peach could remember the days when it was so much easier to dress how Samus did. All she had to do was order clothes and they would soon be hanging up in her bedroom. She couldn't even remember a time when she wore an outfit more than once.

But Peach felt worthy enough to stand in Samus' fashion filled presence today. With a very expensive turquoise top, shell necklace, and turquoise sunglasses perched on her head, she didn't look so drabby. "Yeah, they should really have a limit on the students. But wow…what are you pampering yourself up for this early in the day?"

Samus lightly blushed with a smile. "Oh…just something."

"Okay, you don't have to tell me," Peach giggled, placing a hand on Samus' shoulder. "He must really be something." The two girls laughed for a moment before it became silent again. Peach felt a quiver in her head and slowly grabbed it. Her routine headaches were acting up again.

"You okay?" Peach saw that Samus was looking up at her. Her peridot colored eyes full of concern. "Yeah, just a little sick. But I'm good." Peach sighed. "Well…actually. I have a question about your brother, Douglas. Do you know his likes and dislikes?"

Samus folded her arms in a thinking manner. "Well, I don't study my brother that much, but I know he hates it when people call him Douglas. Falcon is his street name," Samus explained. "I heard you two are planning a date one of these days. So I guess you want the deep info on my bro."

Peach blushed. "Um...yeah. I mean I plan on going on a date with him. But it seems like maybe we can go on that date sooner than expected." Samus gave her a look, telling her to go on. "Maybe as in tomorrow?"

"Oh! So soon!?" Samus asked. "But what am I saying? It's been almost a week since the first time he set eyes on you. You know, at that photo shop? So what kind of date are you planning?"

"A modeling friend of mine invited me to go on a double date with her. I don't know if Falcon's a definite person I want to take. I'm just not sure about his personality. I feel it's good to know a little about who you go out on a date of course."

Samus finally finished and looked at Peach. "Agreed. But on a good note, you have nothing to worry about. He's not like those jerks on TV who treat their girls like trash. If anything, he has a very decent respect for women, treating them like queens."

Peach nodded. "That's good. I'm not all for those men who think of the women standards. I was actually quite unsure about him. The first time we actually talked, he just threw himself at me."

"That's just how he makes himself known to a girl," Samus explained. "It seems pushy, but he really means no harm by it. I'm sure you'll definitely enjoy your date with him. Despite the times we have our "brotherly-sisterly" fights, he's a great guy."

Peach grabbed Samus' free hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Thanks. That makes me feel a bit better. I was just really worried about him, because that day Marth showed up at that photo shop. Falcon getting ready to fight him kind of scared me into thinking that he was some ferocious dude."

"The only reason he acts like that is because he's just worried about me. He was livid at Marth when we broke up and he promised to always protect me from people like him."

Peach nodded, but she still had second thoughts. Samus smiled before squeezing Peach's hand back. "Trust me. You won't be disappointed if you ask him to go with you."

"Hmm…I'll think about it," Peach replied. _But…I still have my doubts. _Roy came clear into her mind.

Samus, being taller than Peach, bent down to look at her face. She saw the unsure look in plain view. "Is…there someone else you're thinking about?"

Peach weakly smiled. "Wow. My mind can be easily read." She blushed as she readied herself to admit the truth. "Well you see…"

* * *

**Downtown**

"Let me see. Um… Yes. Mr. & Mrs. Spotts will be moving out in a few days. Then you can claim the apartment. It was to your satisfaction I hope?"

"It's just perfect. I'll be able to manage just fine there," Marth replied to an old innkeeper. The man seemed to be ancient and almost as if he would dissipate into dust with the slightest touch.

Roy looked up from his "Housing Magazine" when he saw Marth had finally came out of the apartment. Out of the kindness of Roy's heart, he had decided to go with his best friend to check out the new apartment and help with the packing. Normally, Roy would have said "no" before Marth could get a word in edgewise. But he felt charitable today. Of course, there could only be one reason why he could be so giving. Peach Toadstool.

"Thanks. I'll be back without a doubt." Marth went to join his friend over by the "The City Bus" bus stop on the bench. He sat down with a content smile on his face. "Things are working in my favor. Thanks for helping me pack earlier. I'm ready to get up and outta my home as soon as the innkeeper gives me the key."

Roy's blue eyes looked at Marth with a ponder visible to the seeing eye. "What about your mother? Is she okay?"

Marth shrugged. "I've tried everything I could to explain why I needed to go. But her crying conquered everything I was saying to her, until I finally gave up. I'm sure she'll get over it."

"Your family really is something to put up with."

"Tell me about it," Marth replied as the best friends walked over to his car. Marth was never one who really liked driving. He loved to walk to every place he could and however long he could. But he had taken the car toda because Roy's response to walking six miles to his "soon-to-be" home was:

"You must be out of your dang mind if you think I'm taking my feet on that concrete to walk for six miles! Do I look like a camel to you?"

Marth didn't argue, but took the car. He fumbled for his keys for a moment, before finding them deep within his black jacket. He looked at Roy as he opened the car door. "So since you're out of school, want to go shoot some hoops or something?"

Roy smirked; getting in the passenger's seat once the door opened. "As much as I would love serve your butt in basketball, I'll have to pass. I gotta go back to Shasta and be available for the rest of the day for someone."

Marth rolled his eyes, as he sped down the streets of Nintendo. "Peach Toadstool right? This isn't some scheme that's going turn out badly, huh?"

Roy turned down the playing Rock Music. "Nope. I don't have to put together any kind of scheme. It seems I was right about Peach liking me."

"Oh? How so?" Marth asked with interest. It was then that the blue haired male was thrown into the short story of Peach's Friday plans. Roy was telling the story with excitement, and it seemed like he was explode and die of happiness at any moment. "Wow. I guess things really are going in your favor."

Roy nodded as he stared out at the passing by trees and people. He sighed a satisfied and dreamy sigh. "But of course as I have mentioned, Peach hasn't found the right moment to admit those feelings. So I'm thinking she's just being a little timid about admitting her feelings to me."

Marth chuckled. "I guess. I'm glad to hear you're finally getting on the right foot with her. How many years did it take? Four?"

"Seemed more like a century," Roy replied. "But the day has finally come and that's all that matters." Roy scratched his red hair in frustration, getting a small glance from his blue haired friend before he turned his eyes back to the road. "Though I do wonder how I should plan my reaction for when she asks me to go. Should I have a shocked look on my face or be all giddy about it? What do you think?"

Marth cocked an eyebrow up, still focusing on the road. "How should I know? I don't really try and figure out how to react to things. I try to be spontaneous."

Roy sat up straight in his seat. "Are you serious? Remember about five or six years ago when we were in our junior year of high school. You were telling me how you were planning to tell Samus the big, "three word phrase?"

"Okay, maybe that one time. I just wanted to know what to do after confessing my feelings to her. She's someone not to take lightly, so I wanted my reactions to be flawless so she wouldn't think I was some kind of idiot." Marth ran a hand through his hair, a little embarrassed when he thought about that perfect day with Samus. "But on a serious note, you'll know what to do when the time comes."

Roy glanced out the window again. "Let's hope that's the case." His eyebrows scrunched up, as he saw someone outside the window. "Hey Marth. Are you guys expecting someone at your Photoshop? There's a dude out there."

"Someone's waiting?" Marth looked in the direction of Roy and saw the person. He suddenly felt anger rise into his chest. when he saw the brown hair and brown eyes. Falcon. He would've thought it was someone else, but then he saw the snazzy sports car outside of the shop. Only he drove around such rarities in vehicles.

"Hey isn't that…" The rest of Roy's sentence didn't reach Marth's head. He was too focused on seeing the well hated enemy, who was now glancing over at him. He slowly parked in his usual parking space behind Falcon's car.

"Marth…" Roy started.

Marth once again ignored his friend and kept looking at Falcon as he got out of the car. He took a deep breath. He knew the only way he was going to keep sane was if he approached him in a calm manner. He took one more deep breath before finally walking over to him.

Falcon was standing by a "No Parking" sign, waiting for the blue haired male to reach him. "So you're still alive I see? I thought for sure we would've scared your butt right out of town."

"No. I'm not someone who runs away from battles. I just needed to heal myself after somebody and their big and ugly friend attacked me in the alley." Marth felt Roy's presence right behind him. He felt a bit safer having more people on his side than Falcon's.

Roy shrunk a bit when he saw Falcon's overpowering glare turn on him. _So this is the guy. So far I really haven't had a good impression of him. He tried to kill Marth when he and Samus met up the first time. Then he succeeded the second time with the help of that large oaf Ganonforth or whatever. He really seems like someone who cannot be trusted._

Falcon shoved his hands into the pockets of his black and red sweatshirt. He looked angrily at Marth, wanting to knock the living daylight out of him. "I warned you to stay away from my sister. But I guess you just didn't learn your lesson. You went right on ahead and seduced my sister into retutning to you."

Marth rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah. That's exactly what I did to win her over. I just drugged her enough to say yes to me," Marth smirked. "Get over yourself, Falcon. You need to just realize that Sam and I are together again. It was something to be destined, since we first laid eyes on each other."

"I don't believe in destiny and all that crap!" Falcon snapped. "I'm giving you a warning, Lowell. Break up with my sister before you really regret it."

Marth shrugged. "Since I can clearly point out that there's a 100 percent chance of me declining to your threat, I guess I'll just have to see what the consequences will be. Besides, like I mentioned to you that one day, your sister trusts me more than she does you."

Roy just gazed at Falcon's anger continuing to boil. He must've really had a strong love for his sister or a stronger hatred for Marth. Maybe even both. Roy felt like he should say something, but he didn't want to get tied up in the mix. And secondly, watching from the sidelines was pretty entertaining.

Falcon moved as if going to finally attack Marth. But he held his composure, and lowered his fighting fists of fury. He took a deep breath, making the red in his face die down. He then, gazed back at Roy, making him a bit nervous. "You better get your friend. He's seriously asking him for a beat down."

Roy gulped, but spoke up. "Well, could you blame him? You're the one who came up on his territory looking for trouble," he replied. His response only made the racer turn his anger on him.

"I'd expect that kind of answer from a dude like you. A follower of an idiot."

Roy sighed. He really didn't want to get involved. "Look, Birdman. Take your wings and poop your crap somewhere else. We don't want to hear it," Roy retorted.

Falcon had forgotten Marth and was now looking at Roy. "One in the same, are you both. One day your smart alecky attitudes will be your downfall. You two will get what's coming." Falcon walked past both of them and hopped into his car. It was only a few seconds before he sped off from Marth's home.

"Just can't face the fact that his sister gets more love and attention than he does," Marth said before, holding his hand up to Roy, "Nice one."

Roy slapped Marth's hand, shook it, and then ended their signature handshake with a synced snap of their fingers. "Too easy. Never have such put down name. I can insult you in a second. His sister must be really precious to him."

Marth shook his head. "I doubt it. All he cares about is money. To be more specific, how much Samus reels in every time she sings. I've never seen him show love to anything else. Yeah. I just hope the girl who finds him attractive doesn't get too attached to him. It can't be anything but hell to be paired with him."

* * *

**The Oasis**

"Eww! That's sick!"

Krystal looked from her salad, to Peach now gawking at Fox making his own little cuisine. Krystal could see what she was talking about now. Fox was putting hot sauce on top of his macaroni & cheese.

Fox innocently looked at Peach, as he stopped shaking the concoction. "You haven't even tried it before. It's tastier than it looks."

Krystal had to agree. It was kind of funky to have hot sauce on it. But people were different in some ways. Like people who put mustard on French fries. "Peach, you shouldn't knock it till you try it."

"Exactly. Thank you, Krys," Fox commented with a smile. "At least you understand."

Krystal blushed as she caught Peach's smirk. It only caused her to turn even more red, because Peach knew that Krystal really like the handsome fox.

"Actually," Samus who was sitting next to Fox stated, "I've done that before. It's spicy yet cheesy and chunky. Almost like spicy nacho cheese." With that, she grabbed the hot sauce and followed the same jestures as Fox. Then she took a small bite with her fork.

"Weirdos. Both of you." Peach played with her own food. She had the same food as Fox and Samus. "You will never catch me eating that." She looked further into the cafeteria and saw a familiar face heading towards their face. "Here comes the last roomie at the hostile! Local philosopher Link Gaiden."

Link laughed as he approached the table and he took a few bows. "Thank you. Thank you. You're all too kind." He was looking around the table, as if searching for someone.

"Sorry, Link. Zelda isn't here." Samus said, stopping Link from his searching. "After her last class, Impa came by to pick her up for lunch. She won't be back till her dance class starts."

Link sat down in the empty seat next to Peach and sighed. "That's a drag. I needed to talk to her about tomorrow night."

Peach was glad to finally hear some "curious-filled" information. She stared at Link, with great interest. "Tomorrow Night? What's that?"

"Oh yeah. I didn't tell you all what happened yesterday evening. I challenged your little sister to a game of DDR and won. To top that, we made a bet and now she has to spend some time with me tomorrow."

"A forced date?" Peach summed up. "Even though I dislike my sister with a passion, that's kinda the wrong way to go if you like her and all. I think it would only make her not like you even more than usual."

"It's not a date. It's more of a "tranquil gathering," if you will. I'm not planning to trap the girl and make her kiss me and all that other stuff. It's just so I can get to know her."

Fox took another bite of his food. "Sounds like a date to me."

"Mm-hmm," Krystal added, sipping down her soda. "What else could it be?"

Link looked at the two humanoids. "I'm serious. I'm not going to be all romantic like or anything. It's just a simple little…"

"Date," Samus finished his sentence. "Think about it. Who does things like that these days, Link? A girl and a guy get together for a tranquil gathering? Please, I've been dating since I was thirteen."

"Gathering or not, I still cannot believe you take such fascination in Zelda. I warned you about her and you saw in person how cruel she can be. I mean if I were you, I already would've taken her down! But yet, you play the "following puppy" role," Peach replied.

Link nodded. "Cuz, I'm wearing her down. Zelda may act like she's high and mighty, but underneath that large pack of make-up and skin, there's a timid person waiting to burst. You'll see the results soon." Link fumbled through he pocket of his black and green jacket and pulled out the anklet he picked up yesterday. " I need to return this jewelry to her."

Peach took a good look at the jewelry. It was only a second or two, before she gasped. She snatched the bracelet quickly from Link's hand, getting stares from everyone at the table. But she only angrily looked at Link. "Did you steal this from my room?"

"What? No, of course not! In fact, I found this on the street, on my way home from the arcade. It was on Zelda's ankle." Link stammered his answer.

Peach's anger subsided quickly. She gazed down at the anklet one last time. "Oh," she said in a whisper. She looked up at her friends, her face as pink as a rose. "I'm sorry. I thought…here." She handed back to Link and looked away from him.

"No problem," Link answered. "Peach, do you know something about this jewelry? Why it has the name "Solara" on it?"

"Well…it's a family heirloom. Actually it's something my grandmother gave Zelda and me when we were still kids, right before she died. That anklet of Zelda's is like my own." Peach abruptly stood up and placed her right leg in the chair she was sitting on you. "You see?" She pointed her finger at the charm around her ankle. "It's just a little bit different."

Link inspected the jewelry more closely than the others. It was almost exactly like Zelda's. The only two key differences were the charm difference and the name on it. Peach's had a bright and shimmery sun and written on the sun was the name of the Moon Goddess, "Luna". He still didn't understand the names. "So why is Luna written on this charm if it's the sun?"

"Oh that? Well…" Peach cleared her throat. It was obvious that she knew the answer, but didn't want to say it. But she sighed knowing there was no point in keeping it quiet. "As immature as it is, Zelda's and my anklet are friendship bracelets. I know those are so grade school, but we just never took them off. When our charms are together we can hook them together and then they'll say "Luna and Solara" on them.

Krystal glanced at the anklet as Peach started to absentmindedly play with it. "I've always wondered what that was around your foot. But you never seemed to show it to other people."

"I've never seen such a gorgeous piece of jewelry. It must have cost your grandmother a fortune," Samus mentioned, staring at the unique craftsmanship. "That's something you'd never want to take off for a second."

"Yeah," Fox said. "But, that does raise a question. I mean if it's a friendship charm you share with Zelda, why do you still wear it? I mean we pretty much all know you and Zelda aren't really considered tight friends these days."

Peach nodded. "I would if I could. But just as Samus mentioned, my grandmother paid a fortune for these. I love her so much for doing something so kind. Besides all that, she's like my hero," Peach added. She sat back down in the green chair and brushing her blonde hair behind her ears. "You know, when I was younger and still lived in Joypadana, I could be defined as a girl who was almost as stuck up as Zelda. I can pretty much tell you that I loved being rich and on top."

"Well…who wouldn't be?" Fox responded.

Peach chuckled. "Exactly. But I never took the time to look at the unfortunate people around me. I didn't think about how everything I got so easily, others had to work extra hard to just get a taste of it. My grandmother explained to me how it was nice to be wealthy, but it was also important to not get wrapped up in luxury. She said money could turn the sweetest angel into a devil. Happiness doesn't always last with wealth. The two things clash hard, she said to me."

"I didn't listen to her. But it was strange. Some time after she died, all the negative things she told me about wealth started to open up to me. I mean I never watched the news in my teenage years. But then I just somehow turned to the channel and watched it. It was like my eyes opened to a whole new world."

"Poverty just turned my heart into concern for the people, who weren't lucky like me. It made them vulnerable to many things. All kinds of crimes; theft, murder, rape. They suffered through hardships like war and had to deal with losing friends to fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, or tornados. Grandmother Toadstool was absolutely right about being too in love with money. It makes you lose your care for those around you."

"I can never thank her enough for what she told me. I don't know…I just don't know where I would be without her." Peach felt tears form in her eyes. Krystal placed an arm around her trembling friend. Peach choked back her tears. "Thanks. But that's why I still wear the anklet. In remembrance of her. I want to keep her love alive inside me. That's why I changed my last name to hers too."

Link smiled. "Your grandmother sounds like an amazing woman. Just like my own mother," he replied. "Is that why Zelda still wears her anklet?"

Peach shrugged. "I really don't know. I mean to find out she's still even wearing it is a shock to me. Zelda always thought Grandmother Toadstool was rambling at the mouth and needed to be sent to a nuthouse. I don't think the two of them ever saw eye to eye. Or maybe Zelda was too young back then to begin to even understand her."

Samus crept her hand over to where Zelda's bracelet was. She picked it up, tossing it in her hand. "Maybe she's wearing it because of other reasons. I mean maybe she thinks something is still there with your sisterly friend-"

"Oh no!" Peach cut the younger blonde off. "Samus, Zelda has made it clear that she hates me. Sisterly sentimental reasons? I think there's a bigger chance of her wearing it because it's an expensive little piece of jewelry. And its worth selling if she ever gets tired of it."

Link thought about Samus' theory. It seemed pretty right on the market. But he couldn't just assume things without proof. This was why these four hours with Zelda would be important. It was the only way he could understand Zelda for who she was.

Samus yawned as she stood up. She slung her bag over her shoulder and lifted the now empty food tray. "I have to go down to the music studio to see my Dad. He has another nineties song he wants me to remake for another CD. See you guys later."

Peach stood up too. She picked her own food tray, still full of food. "I'll walk you out. This room is way too stuffy for me. Besides I think I want to go see Daisy in a photo shoot." The two girls stalked off together in a hurry to dump their trays.

Seeing them leave reminded Link that he had forgotten about his worried little brother Young Link, wanting to know the condition of his beloved friend Pikachu. He wished he could have heard more about the deal with Peach and Zelda's anklets, but maybe it would be better saved for later. Besides, this was much more important. The pokemon was family to him. "I'm sorry, I gotta head out too. Pikachu is still at the vet."

"Oh that's right," Krystal commented. "Poor little guy. He just isn't in his chipper and bubbly mood. It's like he lost his best friend."

Link nodded. "I don't know what to do. But the vet said earlier a little sleep might help, because it was too early then to tell what was wrong. Hopefully he'll have some results when I get there."

"Good luck, man," Fox called as Link walked away wrapped up in his own thoughts. The two foxes were the only two left. He looked over at the violet vulpine who was now nervously swirling a fork around in her food. "What are you so deep in thought about, Krys?"

"Oh!" Krystal jumped a bit, letting her salad fork drop from her shaking hands and into the salad. The ranch scattered on top of the fork and extra dressing landed on her light blue dress. She blushed and grabbed a napkin to clean the fork off. "Um…nothing," she said in a squeaky soft voice.

Fox smirked. "It has to be something to make you jump like that." He reached into the napkin dispenser and pulled out a few of the green napkins. He slowly handed them to the nervous Krystal. "Here."

Krystal stopped patting her dress with her napkin when she saw the spares in his hand. She lightly smiled and took them from him. "Thank you," she said politely before going back to patting her dress clean. "So…" she started softly. "How's your aerial training?"

"Oh piloting classes? Well, they're going pretty well. I'm going to have my very first shipment next weekend," Fox replied. "I don't think I can stand the wait much longer. You just don't know the sensational feeling you get when you're flying in the sky. It's complete freedom."

Krystal laughed softly. "Must be better than just sitting in a plane and watching the clouds go by." Her laughter was silenced by the buzz of the other students residing in the lunch bar. She took this chance to look at Fox who was busy fumbling through his backpack. _It has to be a crime to be that handsome. It's no wonder why Fox has had so many girlfriends in the past. He has such well groomed fur and has gorgeous innocent looking green eyes. Even my own eyes don't play off as sweet. Compared to him, I feel so plain._

Fox turned her way just as she moved her eyes to her food. The tan colored fox sighed, seeing he was once again ignored._ Of course Krystal's going to act shy and cautious around you. At least until you tell her how you feel. Then she'll understand and then maybe things will start to change for the better. _Fox couldn't remember how many years it has been since he started liking Krystal. But he knew it started only a week or two after he met her. The day he met Krystal was actually during high school. He remembered he was going to be late for his English Class.

But he couldn't go to the class because he knew he didn't have his assigned Novel. Without his book for English, he was going to get a detention. Fox was tempted to ditch. But Krystal was fortunate to overhear his problem. She lent him her own book, saying she had her English class later on in the day.

After returning the book to Krystal, Fox just naturally developed some kind of odd relationship with her. They would never actually spend time together as friends. Rather, they would pass each other in the hallways and say "hello" or "how are you." Krystal never seemed to want to talk to him and Fox was worried.

But one of Krystal's friends Malon Romania said that just her regular personality. So Fox never really got to know the real Krystal, until after high school when they were lucky enough to be living in the same hostel building, Shasta Towers. They started to interact more and then Fox realized that Krystal Tamari was the one for him.

But did Krystal feel the same way as him?

Krystal glanced at Fox, seeing he was staring at her. A blush covered her face once again. "I-Is something wrong?" Krystal self-consciously started to feel around her face. "There's not any ranch on my face is there?"

Fox's ears twitched, as the sound of Krystal's serene voice. "No. You look as perfect as always. Your…your dress…looks great by the way!" He blurted out. _I sound like such an idiot._

Krystal didn't think she couldn't turn much redder. Why did she have to be so obvious with her emotions? "Thank you. I'm glad you like it. I was hoping it would please some of my specific friends." _Moron. I am such a moron. _She repeated over and over in her head.

"Hey, Krys?" Fox started. He stared deep into Krystal's green eyes, as he turned her attention on him. It seemed like it could be so simple to just tell the violet vulpine how he felt. But there was something holding him back. But it seemed so perfect. She was sitting there looking at him as if she would accept the next sentence to escape his mouth. Like she would understand what she meant to him. But… it just wasn't the time.

"Yes?" Krystal asked.

Fox shook his head, deciding to withdraw his next statement. He stood up quickly out of his chair, making it screech loudly against the blue and white tile. "I think I'm going to head early to my classes. You know, to see if I can get in some more fly time?"

"Oh." Krystal never felt so disappointed. She was hoping maybe he would tell her something that would be valuable towards her. Such as maybe wanting to go do something after school together or something. An actual date where they could have fun. But she guessed her hopes went a little too far sometimes when it came to her love for Fox. "That's alright. I'll see you back at home later."

Fox smiled. He, just like the other friends before him, picked up his food tray and headed back to where you returned the items. "Sounds like a plan," He said as he disappeared into the crowd of students.

As soon as he was out of sight, Krystal sighed and began to stab her fork roughly through her salad. It seemed to be a good stress reliever, bouncing ranch and salad up and down in her plate. But it seemed the stress of not being able to open up to Fox could not be overcome.

* * *

**The Hostel (Six Hours Later)**

"Hey! I'm back!" Peach called as she entered the hostel. She waited to hear a response from at least somebody in the hostel. She heard a raspy old voice and knew it was another roomer by the name of Jerry Sellers. He was a forty year old man who did nothing but yap about her and the rest of her colleagues who resided here. He would always say, "Can't stand them college brats! If I had my way, I'd box them all up and throw them in the river on a one way trip to Africa."

Of course Peach nor her friends ever paid him the time of day. Even the landlord Mr. Jones was on the verge of throwing him out. Seeing no one was going to answer her call, she sighed and placed her shopping bags on the floor. She was hoping one of the guys would come to help her with the bags. "Where is everyone?"

She walked up to the front desk, seeing Mr. Jones wasn't here once again. He was hardly ever around when new roomers came along and she or her friends would sometimes handle the new resident sign ups. There was a notepad resting on the top of the desk and she carefully picked it up. She gazed at the list, looking to see who was here.

Besides herself and her friends Link, Young Link, Roy, Krystal, and Fox, no other residents lived here, except Mr. Sellers and a newly wed couple. Peach rarely ever saw the duo because they were either our partying or up in their room having sex or whatever other dirty things they did up there. If she recalled correctly, their names were Carly and Chuck. Chuck lived in the hostel when she arrived and in the past, he used to hit on Peach and also Krystal. But it seemed he was happy with Carly for now. He usually didn't stay true to her, but it wasn't like Carly was a saint.

Just as she placed the list down, she heard a voice.

"Pikachu! He isn't getting any better!" A child's voice had spoken up. She walked away from the desk and headed into the lounge where she saw Young Link first. He was sitting in a couch, facing where she had entered the room. In his arms was the ill Pikachu.

"Relax ,Young Link. It takes a little bit of time for medicine to take effect." The other occupant of the room Roy had said. He was petting the yellow pokemon on the head carefully. "The ole fur ball will be better in no time."

"He's right." Young Link's older brother Link was in the room as well. He had a solemn look on his face. To Peach, it seemed like Link was unsure of his own words. "Come on. Let him rest for a bit. Why don't you go start your homework and I'll be up in a bit?"

Young Link sighed. Peach gazed deep at his face. It seemed like he had been crying earlier, for his eyes seemed a little pink. He sniffed once before setting Pikachu on the pillow. "Okay," He looked and instantly saw Peach. "Hi Peach."

Peach felt the attention draw to her, as the other two males looked across the room to her. She smiled lightly, giving a small wave. "Hey. How's everybody?"

Before anyone could answer, Young Link let out a small cry before jogging towards the exit to where the bedrooms were. Peach could of sworn she heard him start crying as he ran up to his room. Everyone fell silent till they heard the door to his room slam shut.

"How is everybody?" Peach repeated her own question out loud for Link and Roy to hear. She walked further into the lounge and took a seat where Young Link had been sitting. She instantly reached a hand out, and started to pet the sick pokemon. "I can be so stupid sometimes. He must be feeling so hurt right now."

Pikachu tried to give a happy remark. "Pi-ka-chu," he answered in sick voice.

"Don't worry about it," Link responded. "There really aren't any positive words you can try to get the little tyke to feel better."

"I'm guessing the doctor didn't have anything positive to say?" Peach felt her heart sink as Link nodded "yes" to her question. "But…Pikachu. He isn't going to…well…" She couldn't find her voice to say the word.

"Not yet," Roy answered for Link. He looked almost as down as Young Link. Pikachu always had a positive effect on them. Always playful and could really brighten up anyone's moods. To lose someone so precious would be a true tragedy. "I mean, they're unsure. They said they still think it's too soon to know his malady."

Link ran a hand through his hair. "I really haven't been able to think about anything lately. It's just a big depression on just the both of us. Young Link has had Pikachu for a long time. And he's always been so healthy. Then this happens. I might as well take him to the doctor again, since the hostel is being repainted tomorrow."

"Jones is painting tomorrow?" Roy suddenly thought of something. "You know. Maybe Pikachu should stay somewhere else."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh!" Peach caught onto what Roy was getting at. "He's right, Link. You should take him to stay with a friend outside of the hostel." Peach saw Link stare at her, still wanting to know why. She answered his question. "If I heard correctly, isn't a pokemon's nose really sensitive to strong smells? It will be two times worse for Pikachu." Roy nodded, indicating that was exactly what he was thinking about.

"You're right," Link answered. "The last thing I want to happen is make the little guy's condition worse," He looked at the pokemon, quietly chirping in pain. "But I don't think I know anyone outside of this place I can trust enough to take good care of him. This isn't like I'm giving someone a video game or notes. This is a living friend that we all want to keep in good care. And I really don't want to spend a lot of money just to keep Pikachu at the vet's hospital. They're already billing me a lot for the two visits."

"Hmm…" Roy thought for a moment. He didn't see Link hang around with anyone except his friends and Zelda. But all of them lived here in the hostel and he knew Zelda would drop dead first before doing Link a favor. But then he remembered another person who didn't live here. "Hey what about Marth? He has his own apartment now. It would be perfect."

"I thought you said Marth hasn't exactly moved into his new home yet?" Link asked.

Roy slumped back down in his seat. "That's right. You couldn't even take Pikachu to his parents' house, since his mom isn't a big rodent fan."

"Besides, you know Marth and his family are going through trauma since he returned to Samus. He wouldn't give his parents the time of the day or be in the right mood to take care of him." Peach suddenly smiled. "Hey, what about Samus? She wouldn't mind taking care of the cutie," Peach exclaimed while petting Pikachu again.

"Yeah, I didn't even think about her. She isn't going through anything with her father since Marth?"

"No. She said Mr. Aran is finally calming down about her being with him. I think he would be fine with Sam taking care of Pikachu rather than her frolicking around with her BF."

"That sound like a good idea." Link smiled, finally feeling a tad bit better. "I'll call her up right now. Any of you guys have her phone number?"

Peach pulled her pink cellphone out of her pocket and handed it to the relief-filled blonde. "Here. It should be in the phone book. I guess she should be done at the music studio and out with Marth somewhere."

Link had his own cellphone in his hand. He quickly found the number in Peach's phone and typed into his own. "Thanks. I'll be right back." With that, Link handed the phone back to the model and hurried out the exit towards the bedrooms.

"Let's just hope Sam will be open-minded to the idea." Roy said, after a moment or two. He looked over across the couch at Peach to see she was still petting the pokemon.

"Mm-hmm," Peach replied. "Today's just been a real hectic day huh?"

"Yeah," Roy agreed. "Tomorrow's Friday. Good things usually happen right?"

"Friday?" Peach suddenly remembered what she had been stressing about the whole day. The double date planned with Daisy and Luigi. She still hadn't decided who she wanted to take with her. She suddenly felt a knot tie in her stomach. "We can always look forward to that day, huh?"

Roy nodded with a smile. " I always thought so. So I'm hoping for something good to come out of tomorrow," he replied.

_Jeez, you had to make it harder by saying that. How in the heck am I supposed to pick who to go with? Going with Roy would probably jeopardize the chance of going with Falcon. If I go with Falcon I'm going to definitely hurt Roy. Why did he have to like me?_ Peach didn't think her life could be so complicated by meeting these two guys.

"So, Peach? What did you say have planned with Daisy?" Roy suddenly blurted out. He didn't know how much longer he could wait for Peach to ask him to go on the double date with her. She didn't know why someone so gossipy wouldn't have asked him by now.

Peach on the other hand, felt nerves build up by his question._ How did he find out? I didn't tell anyone about it. Well I mean besides Krystal yesterday and Samus today. But neither would tell him about it right? _Peach gulped. Her stomach felt like it was plunging down the biggest hill of a roller coaster. But the hill seemed like it was never going to end. "Eh…plans?" She repeated in a squeaky voice. "Uh…what do you mean?"

"Oh right," Roy said with a laugh. He gave Peach his irresistible look, making her want to just kiss him over and over again. "I'm sorry about this. But yesterday I was getting popcorn for the movie and I kinda walked in on yours and Daisy's conversation. She was planning a date with her boyfriend and asking if you wanted to come with her."

"You…you heard our conversation?" Peach was still falling down that never ending roller coaster. _This would only happen to me! Is someone trying to give me a sign? Well instead of doing things like this…CAN'T YOU JUST TELL ME WHO TO GO WITH! _

Roy felt his smile widen as he saw Peach nervously twirl a finger in her long locks. _That's a good sign. She's obviously aware of me knowing she wants to ask me out. Come on, Peach. Just ask me and I'll say yes._

"You know. You shouldn't eavesdrop on other people's conversations. That's just really immature!" Peach commented. She was hoping scolding him would turn him away from what he obviously wanted to know. But that was short lived.

Roy rolled his eyes. "I know. I'm a bad boy," _Stop stalling, Peach. You're killing me! JUST ASK! Or maybe I'll just move in. _He scooted in closer to Peach, but not real close since the ill pokemon was sitting on the couch between them. "But you told her you were going right?" Peach nodded, making Roy want to get up out of his seat and dance. "Well, come on. Who are you taking with you? You can tell me."

Peach saw the eager look on his face. _Yeah, he definitely knows about the date. To top that, he's guessing that I'm going to ask him because of what I said to Daisy yesterday. Curse my choice of words! He's a nice guy. But then it all leads back to the fact that I don't like him the way he thinks I do. But I'd like to know Falcon. I deserve that right?_

Roy was practically dying, waiting for his friend's answer. "Peach," he started.

How was Peach going to say this? She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the answer she was going to give him. "Roy I would love to go with you on the date."

Roy felt a large grin edging onto his face. He moved to hug Peach, but it seemed like Peach wasn't quite done with what she had to say. His grin dropped when he saw the solemn and serious look on her face.

"But the truth is I…" Peach started. She wasn't sure if she could say it. "I can't go at all. Gem called me before I got here and he wants me to do a photo shoot tomorrow night!" she blurted out. Her heart plunging down the rollercoaster hill of no end seemed to stop. She was now on a steady track.

"What?" Roy couldn't believe it. _I waited all this time for her to give me an answer. And she just tells me she has a photo shoot and she had to bail out of that date? Why couldn't she just tell me? _"I can't believe that dude."

"I mean if I wasn't going," Peach said quickly, cutting off Roy's words. He looked up at her. Peach felt so guilty for giving Roy such a look of disappointment. "You'd…you'd definitely be my first choice! I mean you're my best friend! I haven't found a guy yet to have fun with besides you!" She said, hoping to crack a smile.

Success. After a moment or two, the red head's sunny grin appeared on his face. Peach felt relief to see he believed her. Roy laughed. "Well that "Gem" character really sucks! I would've liked to eat something fancy for once," he joked.

Peach laughed,"I definitely agree with you. It definitely beats the food around here." Her laughter died and she gave Roy's hand a tight squeeze. "I'm really sorry I got your hopes about it. I should have mentioned the shoot earlier," she spoke.

Roy brushed her concern filled words away. "Aw…forget about it! Things like that happen when you're a famous model. You'll get more breaks when you become more famous and then you can take me to all the fancy restaurants you want. You owe me anyway."

Peach smiled. "You're right."

**Bong! Bong!**

The friends looked up at the clock. The grandfather clock was ringing seven times. Roy stretched his arms high above his head and rose from the couch. "Man, I'm hungry. Want to order pizza or something?"

Peach would never deny pizza. It was one of her top favorite foods. "Oh that sounds really good. Make sure you get a supreme pizza okay?"

Roy stuck his tongue out. "Bleck. That is one of the most disgusting pizzas ever. I'll order it, but make sure you eat it far away from me."

Peach rolled her eyes. "Whatever, you'll eat anything."

"True." Roy patted Pikachu on the head one more time and then flashed Peach a cute smile. "I'll be in my room, ordering it online. I need to check and see if I have any coupons up there." He headed towards the entrance to the rooms.

"Alright!" Peach sighed as she heard him go up the stairs. She bowed her head and reached for her cellphone. "Pi?" Peach saw Pikachu was wondering why she look so upset. She smiled and stroke the pokemon on his stomach. "Sorry, Roy." She started to dial a number into her cellphone and then placed it to her ear.

One ring. Two…three…four…then a pick up.

She put on smile, to give herself some energy as the phone was answered. She leaned back in her seat and opened her mouth and spoke. "Hello Falcon? Hey it's Peach. I need to ask you something about Friday night?"

* * *

**End of Chapter**

**A/N: **_That's my chapter! I would say something, but I realized if I did I'd be giving away the story. So, like usual there's some good and there's some bad. But there's some bad going on with Peach and Roy! I want to say what's going to happen next chapter, but I'm not sure how it will turn out. I'll update as soon as I can! Please leave a review! Thanks in advance!_

_**Royal Kenya**_


	17. Chapter Sixteen

_Hi everyone! Its been a very long time since my last update! I'm sorry things went very slow but I didn't think college would have such a tough road for me. So honestly, I don't think I'll ever know when an actual update will occur from now on. But trust me, its not going to take as long as it did this time. This was just because I was learning to adjust all this quarter and I think I'm finally getting better. But like I said, I can' promise that updates will come fast at all. It really depends on school and that always comes before my life. Anyway, sorry again about the long wait, I tried to make it up with a long chapter. Turns out this whole Friday Evening scene will have to be a twofer as in **Two Parts**. This will be** part one,** and **part two** I hope to finish before I go back. Yeah so this is a long chappie! Just remember those good ole Lay Off My Guy dayz. For those of you who read those horrifically long chapters! **Good luck and any mistakes or questions feel free to tell or ask me! Oh yes and thanks for your fabulous reviews last chapter! That was the biggest review count thus far! Thank ya! **_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter Sixteen **

**Friday Evening**

Zelda Harkinian looked up at the sky from within her bathroom. The illuminating glow from the setting sun had a hypnotizing beauty that trapped her into staring at it. She couldn't help but have a small smile appear on her face before she breathed a sigh of tranquility. She sunk down in the bath waer she was sitting in, letting the water rise up to her shoulders. The pink bubbles tickled her face. She could smell the beautiful smell of strawberries from the soapy water. Zelda wished she could just live in her safe haven.

"_Zelda…Miss Zelda!"_

She didn't have to emerge from the bathwater to know who was talking to her. She could soon hear the soft echoing of a hand against a mahogany door. It was definitely Impa knocking at the bathroom door. She didn't want to get up an answer. But seeing her lungs were dying for air, she sat up quickly. She took a large gulp of the fresh cool air. Her blonde hair clung to her body closely, down to her waist.

Zelda folded her arms over her chest, to warm from the cold air and sighed. When would she ever be able to have a peaceful moment in the comfort of her own bathroom, without an interruption? "Yes?" She said in the best irritated tone she could muster. "I was having such a nice bath."

"Well, if you would have answered the first time I called you, I would have left you to your relaxation. You made me think you had drowned in the water." Impa retorted from behind the door.

"Only a person with 2 watt bulb for a brain would do something like that." Zelda replied as she stood up from the bathtub. She stretched her right arm over to the towel rack, wrapped the large towel around her body, and pulled her blonde hair in front of her shoulders to rest on the towel. "Is there something you need?" Zelda asked.

"I was just making sure you were keeping track of time. You only have about two hours until you have to meet with Mr. Link Gaiden, right?" Impa asked, already fully aware of the answer.

Zelda's ears twitched at that name. Any tranquil emotions she had received from the bath, had quickly evaporated when the name of destruction entered her ears. "Gaiden." Zelda whispered in a heated tone to herself. "No. I haven't forgotten the forced four grueling hours I have to spend with that mean. All because of some stupid bet."

Impa smiled lightly, deciding to ignore her complaints. "You look like you cleansed your body well enough. Now let's see if you can pick out an outfit and get your hair ready before six pm. After all, you're always one who wants to be prompt for every single event."

Zelda lowered her eyes. "This is an exception. I can stand being an hour or two, maybe even four hours late to meet up with Gaiden. Are you sure there is nothing, you need me to do that might take fours or so?" Zelda's eyes looked up her housemaid with hope.

Impa shook her head, still smiling at the young female. "Sorry. But I have everything under control here. I'll just be here watching some old films, waiting for you to return." Her smile disappeared when she saw Zelda's look of disappointment. "Miss Zelda. I understand you don't want to do this, but you did say you made a bet with him. Now if I was there I would have stopped this bet ahead of time, but you must pay for your own mistakes."

Zelda only groaned and walked past Impa over towards where her bedroom was. Zelda's bedroom was designed, just like if she was at home. Only big difference, it was a little smaller than her old room. Zelda stared over at her closet. "Maybe if I dress really trashy, he'll be so disgusted with me that he'll drop the whole thing."

Impa, hidden to Zelda, rolled her eyes in disapproval. "Miss Zelda. You and I both know the day you dress in a disgraceful way is the day when your Father stops spending money. Appearance has always been a major importance to you."

Zelda knew Impa was right. Being the heiress of a rich father, a good appearance was always a must. She had to, in case disaster struck, like cameramen following her to report anything out of character she would so. She couldn't take the risk. "Fine. I guess I'll just have to put up with the idiot."

Impa sighed. "Zelda. Sit down for a second please." The guardian got a look from her, curious to know what was going on. But she obediently sat down on her bed, clutching her towel even closer to her body. Impa first inhaled and then exhaled. "Zelda. Do you know how long I've been taking care of you?"

Zelda's eyebrow rose. "Isn't it obvious? I mean you've been taking care of me ever since I was born. In fact, you've been around since Peach's birth."

"Right." Impa answered. "I've been watching you for nineteen years. Through that time, I've watched you develop into a lovely young woman. You are definitely a wonder child. But if there's one thing I've always noticed about you, it was this. You seem to never to take to anyone who wants to become friends with you. It's like you have a protective bubble, keeping anyone from ever getting close to you."

"So…is that a problem?" Zelda was hearing what Impa was saying, but she didn't feel the need to grasp it. What did it matter to anyone if she never wanted any close-knit relationships? She had her reasons to be concealed from everyone else. "Like I say every time Impa, there isn't a person around who is equal to me. Why try to make friends with the inferior race? They're just so…"

Impa cut Zelda off. "You don't have to say it. But these people surrounding you, they are trying to develop a friendship with them. Even Link, even though he challenged you to a bet and came up with this idea to go out. He isn't trying to humiliate you."

" You and I both know he constantly tries to pick arguments with me. If you ask me, he thinks he's better than me." Zelda countered. "There's no other reason he could possibly match up to me. Even if I had this one flaw during that bet, I'll be better than him the next day. Humiliation is what he's aiming for. He wants to have me down on my knees apologizing for saying I was better. But he's going to have to do…"

"Zelda, you're thinking too deeply on the whole subject." Impa caught Zelda's look. It was as if telling her, there's no way Link wants that. But at the same time, Zelda seemed to be thinking about that possibility. "If anything, I bet the real reason he challenged you was to impress you. In hopes of you finally seeing him as someone else, then what you're accepting him as."

"What I'm accepting him as?" Zelda's shivering stopped for a moment. "What is that?"

Impa shrugged. "Only you know the answer to that question. " She stood up, but not before gently stroking a hand through Zelda's damp hair. Impa smiled at the young heiress once more. "I just hope when you find the answer, these people who surround themselves around you will finally seem clear to you. You'll understand their motives." With those last words, she left out of the room. "Now hurry and dress before you catch a cold."

"Um…okay." Zelda halfway answered. Her thoughts were hovering about the knowledge Impa had bestowed upon her. Gaiden wanted to be accepted by her? Of course she knew the man had no chance in hell of her ever taking a like to him. However, he had proved himself to be someone to despise. But maybe Impa was right. What if Link really wanted friendship? Her answer came later that night.

**The Hostel**

**Peach's Room**

"So which pair of earrings do you like best? The gold tear drop earrings or the large thick golden hoop ones? I'm leaning towards the teardrop ones, but then the gold hoops look good as well. What do you think?"

The exhausted Krystal raised her head from one of Peach's pillows. "Use the teardrops already. They'll look really pretty for your date tonight."

Peach looked back at Krystal, whose head was once again resting on the pillow. The blonde frowned at the violet fox. "You didn't even look. I thought you were going to be helping me with my outfit. You don't even like the teardrop earrings." Peach told her friend.

"You're right I don't. But every time I give my opinion on something, you always do the opposite of what I say. So I'm saving myself a trip by just saying the pair of earrings you're going to end up picking." Krystal muffled through the blue pillow.

"Oh you're so good to me." Peach chuckled. She glanced back at Krystal, seeing she didn't respond to her comment. "My gosh, Kryssie. How hard did Madame Leona work you guys today?" Peach asked, while placing the last earring in her ear.

"In two words. Too…hard…" Krystal finally lifted her head from the pillow. "I've heard of "Hell Week" in football. But I didn't think it could occur in dance class." The vulpine rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. She was dressed in a pair of black and yellow comfy sweats with stars on them and a tight yellow tank top, revealing some of her soft skin. "Saria and your sister, Zelda, broke out in class again. Madame Leona brought up the whole teamwork thing again, and worked our butts off for their folly."

Peach placed her hands on her hips. "Again? If anything, I bet it was because Zelda was flaunting about how great she was as usual. Man, that girl is so full of herself. She only could have gotten that from our parents."

"Actually it was quite funny what happened." Krystal started. "You see, Saria and Zelda were dancing right next to each other. And then Madame Leona told us all to do pirouettes at the same time. Just as Zelda was spinning around, Saria finished hers faster and landed with her foot out. Zelda landed, tripping over Saria's foot. Just as she was about to fall flat on her face, she grabbed the back of Saria's hair and dragged her down with her, falling on top of each other. Saria then started off by saying, "Get off me, you clumsy oaf!" and then Zelda said. "I'm clumsy! You did that on purpose you witch!" and then it went on from there."

Peach giggled before turning back to her desk. "Sounds like quite the good time. I just wish I was there to tape it. I wonder why those two fight each other?" She proceeded in pampering herself for the evening.

Krystal shrugged. "Who knows? Day after day they find something to fight about. They are just so childish. Zelda I can understand because obviously she wants to prove to Saria that she will always be better than her. But Saria, I just don't know. When they first met, Saria had a nice attitude but then it evaporated in less than 2 seconds and she started despising Zelda."

"Hmm? Well I guess it's really none of our concern." Peach placed her brush down, and sighed. "Okay I think I'm ready. Take a look!"

Krystal arose from her spot on Peach's bed. Her green eyes widened, as she saw the brand new Peach. Peach had really changed from bargaining college student, to high fashion. She was dressed in a gold gown ending right above her knees. The straps of the dress were thick and came straight down. The skirt part of the dress was a bit ruffled, but flew around her legs freely. Behind the straps was a low cute tube top part of the dress. Resting around Peach's neck was a gold heart necklace, glistening brightly.

She then proceeded to looking at Peach's hair. She had flattened her original natural curls and had created very loose Shirley Temple ones. Part of her hair was pulled and was fastened with a gold rhinestone clip, while the rest hung down. Her make-up was not too flashy, but yet visible. In Krystal's opinion, Peach's make-up gave her an all natural look.

"Wow…" Krystal said slowly with a smile. "You just look amazing, Peach." She managed to say. "You have got to dress me up for my dates."

"Okay, but I don't play dress up for free." Peach laughed, seeing Krystal take her reply seriously. The blonde sat down next to her friend and hugged her tightly. "Oh I'm just kidding Kryssie! My bff can get any makeovers from me for free. I owe you for so much anyway for picking out this oufit."

Krystal hugged her best friend back. "Happy to help out whenever I can. Now I hope you don't let that beauty go to waste and have a good time tonight!"

Peach let go of her friend and looked down at the carpet. "I hope so as well. Falcon sounded really ecstatic when agreed about going on the double date with me, Luigi, and Daisy. So that is one good thing to look at." But Peach knew other things were on her mind. "Did Roy mention what he was going to be doing tonight? I mean is he planning to meet up with some of his other friends or something?"

Krystal shook her head. "Well, I asked Roy if he wanted to watch movies tonight with Fox and me. But he said he was going to be doing other things. He didn't exactly say what though."

"I see." Peach sighed. "Krystal, I should be thrilled that I'm going out with Falcon because he's a great guy. But I turned down Roy and I even lied about going on the date. I'm going to be having fun on a date, while he's going to be alone in the hostel, thinking I'm really at a photo shoot. Krys, I just don't know if I can go through with this."

Krystal sympathized with her best friend "Peach, please don't beat yourself up with your decision. Roy is sweet. But you shouldn't have to cater to him if you truly don't like him. You said it yourself, you only see Roy like a brother to you. If you really wanto date other people, go right ahead." On the inside, Krystal really envied Peach and Roy's relationship and surely thought they would be together in no time. "Roy will understand if he really values your friendship."

"I know. I know. But I just feel like I don't deserve to go out with either of them. At least until I'm sure I'll be happy with the decisions I make about two. I'm hoping when I go with Falcon tonight, Roy will not interfere with my night. But now…I'm just…"

"Look Peach." Krystal started "You're thinking too far ahead of yourself. You want to know how the date will go. How you and Falcon are going to end the night. What Roy is going to think when you come back? Will yours and Roy's friendship end? Stop worrying about such things. Just go and have fun. Your heart will guide to the right decisions all night."

Peach pondered to herself. "That phrase sounds so familiar."

"You told me the same thing to me when I told you how I liked Fox. My heart will be ready to tell him how I feel at the right given moment. But I can't think about it. I only can live through life from day to day," Krystal said with a smile. "I'm sure…no. I know you'll have a lovely time tonight."

Peach hugged Krystal once again. "Thanks, Krys. You always know the right thing to say."

"Same here Peach. Now hurry downstairs and go have some fun with your date." Krystal said with a wink.

Peach giggled. "I will! You try and have fun with yours as well!"

Krystal blushed, and tried to hide. But it stood out from her violet fur. She shrugged, seeing it was hopeless to hide the embarrassment and giggled as well. "I'll do the best I can." Krystal got up from her seat on Peach's bed and headed out the door. "I'll see you later on tonight. I want to hear all about it!"

"Alright! Night!" Peach called before Krystal shut the door. The blonde stared into the mirror once more. _Krystal is right. I need to make sure I keep a positive head tonight and don't let anything bother me. Put on a smile girl. _Peach cracked a smile, but it looked as cheesy as old nachos. "This is gonna be tough."

She grabbed her purse sitting on her bed, quickly picked up her black coat, shielding her body with it, and hurried out her bedroom door. The hallway was pretty quiet. But it was Friday night and most likely everyone just like herself, had plans for the evening. The newlyweds Carly and Chuck were probably out having affairs, Mr. Sellers locked up in his room reading, Krystal and Fox were going to stay here, Link was taking Young Link to a friend's house and then Link was supposedly going out on a "friendly gathering" with her sister Zelda. Peach had to admit she was curious to know how that would turn out.

Once descending the steps, Peach took a moment to make sure her hair was straight. Running one hand through her hair while walking, Peach noticed a body resting on the couch. Seeing the red hair, she knew it could only be her friend Roy. The younger redhead did not seem fazed by her entrance into the lounge. Peering harder at Roy, she saw a handheld game preoccupying her friend's attention. His eyes were focused on the screen, moving his fingers rapidly against the game's buttons.

Roy was always a zombie when it came to video games. Peach started to back out of the room. _Well…maybe I should just…_

"AAAH!" Roy screamed, making the blonde model jump. "I get so far and then those STUPID SPIDER NINJAS! They're too darn fast!" He finally turned his attention from the game and noticed Peach's frozen presence. His anger quickly changed into his casual grin. "Hey Peachie didn't see you there! Heading out for the modeling agency?"

"Eh…um…" Peach had lost her train of thought. "Yeah that's right! Heading out to the modeling agency! Sorry, it's been a real long day."_ Another lie, Peach._

Roy nodded his head. "Tell me about it. Two papers due in film studies and in my economics class. Then I gotta start thinking about my next paper for philosophy. Even though we're on our last year of college, I still can't get over all these papers we have to do."

Peach smiled at her troubled friend. "Well hey, look at it this way. You're like a writing pro Roy. You always get A's on all your papers, because the professors like your "sense of style" in all the papers you write. This next paper ought to breeze for you dude."

"Well it is true. I am a writing genius!" Roy commented. "If there's one thing in this world I can't fail, it's putting pen to paper and writing a work of art. I don't see why the teacher's just don't give me some Nobel Writer's Prize or something." Roy felt his grin go even bigger, as he imagined the idea of getting such a prestigious award. "That would be sweet on so many levels! But enough about that…" Roy took the moment to look at how Peach was dressed. _Beautiful as always,_ Roy thought to himself. _She could put on nothing but a bed sheet and still come out looking gorgeous. _

Peach cocked an eyebrow at Roy, as he continued to stare at her. Feeling uncomfortable, she folded her arms over her body, creating a wall to keep Roy from staring at her. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing, you just look great." Roy frowned for a moment. "But usually, isn't it the studios' job to put together the whole outfit ideal and you just come all plain Jane?" He asked, still examining the beautiful gold gown she was wearing.

Peach didn't even think about how awkward it would be to already be dressed up and going to a photo shoot. She suddenly felt a little bit hot, as she stared into Roy's puzzled blue eyes. "Well…you see… it's well um….a….um…well a test!" Peach stammered. "Yeah that's it. You see, Gem wanted me to come dressed to the studio, to see if I could dress like model. So I put this together. Um….what do you think?" She carelessly did one spin showing off her dress to Roy, as he followed the twirl with his eyes. She threw a careless pose when she came to a stop; one hand on her hip. "Think this will be convincing?"

Roy lowered his eyes. He looked Peach deep in the eyes for a moment, making her become even more flustered. "You're lying to me, aren't you?"

"What?" Peach was taken aback by his response. How did he find out so quick? "I-I don't know what you're talking about?"

Roy suddenly chuckled, making his friend become bewildered. "I'm only kidding, Peach. I was only trying to lighten up the mood. Besides it'd be stupid of me to think you had something to lie about."

_You would like to think that Roy but the truth is I've lied to you about three times now! And I feel so bad for doing this to you! _Peach wanted to scream her thoughts out to Roy, but bit her tongue to suppress the thought of doing such an action. "Yes, that's pretty silly of you, Roy." Peach nervously laughed. "I have no reason to keep anything from my best friend. Anything going on, you'll always have the full scoop." _Oh how I wish that were true. _Peach thought.

Roy laughed. "I better be the first in line to know everything going on in your life! But like you look great! If Jim….well Gem…doesn't like your outfit, he might be smoking some heavy pot!" He joked.

"Yeah." Peach giggled along with her best friend. The laughter slowly evaporated after a few seconds. The only sound to be heard was the busy evening streets of Nintendo and the howling dogs and cats. Peach cleared her throat. "I better go. Gem, might have my head for being late. What are you planning to do?"

Roy shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe hit the bed early or call up my cousin, Joshua or wander the Friday city lights. I'll figure it out, you just go to your photoshoot and kick butt as usual." He stood up from the couch, standing right in front of Peach, only an inch or two taller than her.

"But remember. Even if you suck…" He gave Peach a warm hug, making her blush even more. Of all the hugs shared with her friend, this one fired her up. "I'll still accept you, no matter how lame you'll do."

Instead retorting with a comeback, she warmly smiled as she got out of his embrace. " I just don't get you, Roy. A total cornball one moment, then this serious Roy comes out all of a sudden."

Roy shrugged again. "Mmm…dunno. I never really show my serious side unless I'm around you. Guess because you're the only one who ever really understood me. Something I'd expect my best friend to do. And because of it, I appreciate you more than you think," Roy explained.

Peach cocked an eyebrow. "What? What do you mean by…." Her question was interrupted by the sound of a car horn. She and Roy both looked in the direction of the front door. "I guess that's Daisy, coming to take me to the photo shoot."

Roy nodded. "Well you better get a move on. If you get back early, maybe we can go do something."

"Right." Peach clutched her coat close to her body. "I'll catch up with you later." She turned quickly and headed in the direction of the front door. _This wasn't how it I should have planned it. Roy, I should have told you the truth because lying to you is me being a traitor to our friendship. _She opened the front door and saw a red sports car parked outside. _But I have to remind myself that I just can't be with you. No matter how much I like it when you hold me, it's just the love of a friend and nothing more. I need something more._

Peach finally reached the car as the driver came out of the front seat. It wasn't Daisy, but actually the stunning looking Captain Falcon, dressed in a very expensive black tuxedo. He had a red corsage in his right chest pocket and his brown hair was neatly combed. He smiled at Peach as he opened the door for her. She smiled as well as she looked at her handsome looking brown eyed date for the evening. _And that little something more…_ Peach thought to herself once she was in the car. _…I'm hoping to find it tonight._

**Larson Apartment Building**

**(Hallway of 11****th**** floor)**

"Thanks again, Samus. I really owe you. Are you sure you have everything? I gave you his medicine, favorite foods, and toys? There's also this Pokemon CD Pikachu really loves. The song's called "Pikachu," and it gets him into high spirits. And then there's this Jigglypuff song that helps him sleep and there's also this..."

"Link!"

Link halted his instructions to the sound of Samus' irritated voice. He smiled apologetically and Samus returned the smile. The two were standing outside of Samus' apartment, after dropping Pikachu off at her home for babysitting. Samus' blonde hair was in a braid, and was wearing a tight orange tanktop and baggy dark, gray sweats "Like I mentioned time after time on the phone, and time after time since you've arrived here to drop him off, I've got everything under control. Pikachu and I are going to have lots of fun bonding tonight and he'll have all my attention," Samus repeated to her friend once again.

"We have this covered, Link. We can handle taking care of the little guy" Link observed as Marth Lowell appeared at the door as well, placing an arm around his girlfriend. Marth was dressed in jeans, a blue shirt covered by a blue and white jacket. He smiled before petting the sick Pikachu in Samus' arms. "Though I'm a bit jealous that Pikachu was able to steal all of Samus' love and attention from me. He'll have to teach me his tricks," he joked.

Link laughed with his friends while watching Samus give Marth a playful kiss on the cheek. He couldn't be more pleased to see that the two were back together. At least love was on their side. "I really do owe you two a lot for taking care of him. Heh, I wish you two luck with keeping up with the little explorer. Just make sure you two don't have too much fun, or Pikachu will disappear right under your noses."

The couple laughed. "We should be the ones wishing you luck. Sam told me you're taking a chance and you're taking Zelda out on a date. I've only met the girl once, but word on the street is that Zelda still is an Ice Princess and darn hard to melt," Marth mentioned.

"First off, it's not a _date,"_ Samus shrugged innocently when Link frowned at her for thinking it was a date. "Secondly, I appreciate the luck. But something tells me that tonight is going to be a very entertaining, but successful evening. And trust me, everyone has their frosty sides. But let's just say I'm the right degree of heat to melt Miss Zelda down to her pure core." he paraphrased.

"Personally, I'm starting to find it pointless to help the girl." Samus shifted Pikachu to a comfortable position in her arms. "She's like her own Antarctica, Link. You're going to need a lot fire to thaw that woman out. Seems impossible, really."

"Yes, Samus. But Link has two things that none of us have with Zelda Harkinian. Patience and determination. Who better to handle Zelda than Link? He has the tools." Marth complimented Link. "I'm confident he'll spark something."

Samus wasn't as quite convinced as the boys were. "Well, I'm still shady about it." She shrugged in defeat. "But I wish you the best of luck."

Link grinned at his encouraging friends. "Thanks guys. I'll be back around nine. Don't have too much fun, remember you still got a young Pokémon in the room," he joked.

Samus laughed. "Of course, we'll keep it clean. See you later!" The two gave one last wave as Link left further down the hallway to go to the next location.

Link heard the door to Samus' apartment close as he was within sight of Zelda's apartment. He sighed, still carrying a grin on his face. Tonight was the night he and Zelda Harkinian would finally have some time alone. Eager? You bet he was. For what reason, he wasn't sure. Maybe it was the thought that possibly this was the day Zelda would finally have a positive, elaborative conversation with him. Of course, he knew he would really have to coax her to spill out anything about herself.

But Link wasn't worried about such things. Getting into people's business was something always fun to do in his opinion. He didn't know why, but his thoughts went back to what Young Link was telling him before he left to come here. He had begged his older brother to change his mind about going to meet her, but he refused. Link was well aware of the reason why he didn't want him to go. But at the same time, Young Link had to learn that Link enjoyed being around him but always wanted to make new friends and not just males. Females as well.

Link came to a halt in front of the front door of Zelda's apartment. Room #2745 was the location. Link eagerly knocked on the door three times. He didn't hear any noise at first, once he finished knocking. But as he listened closer, he heard footsteps coming closer to the door. The door opened to reveal the over towering nursemaid, Impa. She smiled down at the young man. "Hello, 're right on time."

Link grinned. "6 o' clock on the dot like I said. Wouldn't want a minute of our time to be lost. So is Zellie…er...I mean Zelda ready to go?"

Impa chuckled at Link's nickname for Zelda. "Hopefully, she's ready to go. Let me go back there and check." She muttered softly before turning from Link and walking over to Zelda's bedroom door. Without knocking, Link watched the tall nursemaid walk inside. There was soft muffling going on in the room. But Link's ears could pick up on the sound.

"Come along now, Miss Zelda. You can't drag it on any longer. Link is waiting for you right outside the door."

"Impa!" Link heard Zelda's voice protest. "Isn't there something you can do to ban him from doing this? You're supposed to be protecting me from outsider creepos!" The heiress commented, offending Link a little by her comment.

"Oh Zelda, honestly! Link is none of the sort. Now…" The door opened with Impa walking out first with her back to Link, and one arm tugging the resisting heiress out of the room. "Come on, you don't want to keep him waiting!"

"Trust me! I do!" Link caught a full view of Zelda as she finally stepped out of her room. She was dressed in tight black long sleeve top with leggings similar to her top. Link couldn't tell where the leggings ended because the end was covered by warm-looking brown boots. A pink dress was on top of her leggings and top. It was a heart-shaped, pink, spaghetti strap, with the end of her wavy dress stopping a little under her knees. Her hair was pulled back, and tied securely around the mid section of her hair and the remaining hair was tied into a braid. Even her usually free flowing side bangs were fashioned into two slim, perfect braids that hung right off her shoulders.

Zelda finally gave into Impa's demands with an aggravated groan, before looking in Link's direction. She squinted her eyes, giving Link a good look from head to toe. "Well. Don't you clean up nicely?" she said with the hateful tone still in her voice.

Link was dressed in some jeans, a black-collared, button-up shirt, open at the top with a black undershirt underneath. His blackdress shoes finished up the outfit. He nodded in gratitude. "Of course. You weren't expecting me to show up looking like a poor beggar were you?"

"For your own sake…" Zelda crossed her arms with a sly smirk on her face. "I don't think you want me to answer that question…ow…" Zelda moaned, as she felt a hard pinch in her back from her nursemaid Impa, who gave her a disapproving look. She rolled her eyes. "Let's just get this over with." She muttered under her breath.

"Gladly…" Link stretched out his arm, expecting Zelda to take it. Her only response was her looking at the arm once before glaring at him once again. _This is definitely going to be an interesting evening. _Link thought to himself before withdrawing his hand. "Suit yourself. Let's get going eh?" He turned heading toward the door, but not before seeing Zelda getting a little shove from Impa through the corner of his eye.

**On The Streets**

_What am I doing here? I could be in my room doing some stretches for class or practicing my dance moves. But I'm here with Gaiden, on our little gathering. _Zelda gazed at Link for what seemed like the millionth time while they were walking along the sidewalks. Zelda wasn't too fond of walking in Nintendo. She never enjoyed the feeling of walking on their mucky and dirty streets. She constantly scanned the ground to make sure she wouldn't step on any gum or any other hideous debris.

"What seems to be the problem?" Link interrupted Zelda's concentration on the ground. "The streets of Nintendo are too dirty for Joypadana's heiress to walk on? If our streets are bad, Joypadana's sidewalks must be covered in solid clean gold."

The blonde female lowered her eyes. "Talk about over exaggerating," she said sarcastically. "Back at home, barely anyone walked on the streets, except for the lower class such as yourself," she insulted. "But even they didn't live in a large number back in Joypadana. They had their own little isolated area on the outside of Joypadana, so we could keep our cleanliness."

Link shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well…I guess Nintendo is the fortunate city! To live in a fake city like Joypadana would be just torture."

Zelda turned her eyes in Link's direction, carrying a suspicious look on her face. "Are you trying to say Joypadana is a city of rich neat freaks?"

"Hey I didn't say it. But seems like you're implying it?" Link laughed. "I must say Zellie you really love to blurt out your true feelings when you're around me. We must be getting closer every moment we spend together!"

Zelda wanted to pull out her hair as she watched him laugh his annoying laugh. It was like an insult to Zelda. He was mocking her, making her feel like she was below him. She was the one on top! "I've warned you several times about that stupid nickname! Why do you constantly try to make me mad?"

"Oh I wouldn't consider it trying to make you mad. It's rather, trying to strike up an interesting conversation with you, Zelda. But every time I try to talk nicely, you shoot me down with a retort of anger and desp spite for me, kind and innocent, Link Gaiden," he replied. Link wouldn't deny he was having the time of his life, making Zelda a ticking time bomb.

"You're far from kind and innocent! You're annoying, you're rude, you're a pest, you're…."

"...the winner of the DDR contest, so start being nice to me." Link ended her sentence. "Remember it was part of the bet that you would not diss me. So we're going to try and have a pleasant, little outing, okay?"

"…" Zelda only turned from him and continued walking down the street. _This is just so humiliating. I'm walking down the street with lower class. I shouldn't have fallen for his stupid tricks. But he just tests me! Like to see if I can take a challenge! I know I can, but I just seem to never prove that I'm better than him. Something always messes it up for me. I'm sure that machine wasn't even working because it didn't count all my correct steps._

Not getting a response, Link checked on the pondering dancer. She was definitely going to be one tough pickle jar to open up. But Link was not a quitter! Link sighed loudly to get her attention. "Maybe you'll be more talkative once we go to Chez La Suite for dinner."

"Huh?" That definitely caught Zelda's attention. She knew about Chez La Suite, having been there with Impa once during the summer. But she also knew that the place was VERY expensive. "Are you serious? How could you possibly get into such a high class place like that?"

"With connections and reservations," Link said proudly. His proud smile made Zelda a little nervous. The two stopped at a crosswalk to wait for their turn to cross. "I figured since you're so high class, you wouldn't want to go to some burger joint. This way at least you could say, you still have high taste."

"Oh…" Zelda said softly. She was still trying to figure out how he could he even be accepted at such a luxurious place. But she would find out tonight how and find out a couple other things about Mr. Link Gaiden.

**Donatello's Italian Restaurant**

"So…then the police officer comes up to my car and says, "Son, do you know how fast you were going? I say "hey if you caught me, I couldn't have been going too fast"! He says "are you trying to give me lip boy?" And my friend in the car says, "Eww man sorry but we don't swing that way!"

Peach looked as Daisy Marigold and Luigi Rigatoni starting laughing along with the speed racer Douglas Falcon. Even though it was a funny story, Peach was more interested in seeing what Daisy and Luigi thought about Falcon. So far, the couple had been laughing up a storm at all of Falcon's tales. Daisy laughed harder before leaning on her boyfriend's shoulder laughing into it. This was the first time that Peach had seen Daisy dressed up in something that wasn't something made by their model agent Gem. She was dressed in a lime green halter dress, that was very puffy at the ends. Her chestnut hair was flattened out and held back by two glittery hair clips.

Her boyfriend Luigi, was no longer wearing a hat and had his hair combed neatly. He was dressed in a tux with a green cummerbund and green shoes. It was cute to see the two match in the same shade of green. "Wow, man." He said, finally ending his laughter fit. "You and your friend had some wild times. I don't think I could've stepped up to a police officer like that and say those things. Did you get arrested?"

Falcon's brown eyes lit up being eager to continue the story. "No, we didn't get arrested. But we got a major extended fee on our ticket because of Caesar. He kept on talking big to the police officer and I had to finally tell him to shut up before the ticket went over $100."

"Oh wow!" Daisy said, wiping tears from her eyes from the laughter. "Sounds like the time my Uncle Magnus tried to escape the law. He was driving Ole Dale, that's our tractor, through the streets like it was just like the other cars. The police stopped him saying, "What kind of darn contraption are you driving? This ain't no car." But my uncle Magnus is very stubborn, he says "If it's got four wheels and moves like a kitten on roller-skates, I'm driving where the heck I please!" He got a big fine after that." Daisy said, making everyone laugh again.

Peach's laughter was much shorter than the others. She only continued to smile as they were in their own laughing world. She looked around the restaurant. It was a very elegant place that Luigi had picked out for the double date. Peach couldn't remember the last time she went out to get real Italian food since she left her home in Joypadana. The theme colors of the restaurant were red and gold. Their table was gold while the booth they were sitting in was red trimmed in gold. In the middle of the restaurant was a large dance floor and there was a band playing some romantic Italian music.

"Hey." A chill ran up Peach's spine as Falcon put an arm around her shoulder. He looked at her with a smile on his face, but concerned one. "You okay?"

It took a moment for Peach to remember how to move her mouth. "Um…yes I'm fine…just thinking." She started to feel embarrassed, seeing how all three of them were looking at her .

"So how did you two meet anyway?" Luigi said.

Falcon took the wheel of the conversation. "The first time we saw each other, it was during a small encounter. So we didn't actually talk or exchange words but just caught glances of each other."

_You mean the encounter when you were feuding with Marth. I'm glad he didn't mention it._ Peach started as she watched Daisy and Luigi get more into the story. Luigi had slipped an arm around her shoulder, and she was giggling. They were a perfect duo.

"But then one night, I was driving my car around for my usual runs. Then all of a sudden, I look to the left and see this angel looking as lost as she could be." Falcon said coolly, making Daisy awe and making Peach turn even pinker. "So I stopped by her car and when she first saw me she looked as if she was going to do some judo moves on me for being in her space. But I introduced myself and she remembered me. So then I gave her a ride to her sis's apartment, same place I lived. She really was trying to keep her distance from me at first, but then I ended up taking her home after. We talked a little in the park and caught up. So…here we are."

"Amazing. That is such a cute way to know each other," Daisy said affectionately. She looked into her green purse. "I think I need to do a little freshening up in the bathroom. Peach darlin', wanna come with?"

"To the…" Peach stopped her repetition when she saw Daisy looking at her with a gleam in her eyes. There was another reason she wanted her to accompany her to the bathroom. "Oh sure. I'll join you."

"Typical girls going to the bathroom together. Only they know what goes on there." Falcon joked to Luigi.

"How true." Luigi said before getting a playful shove from Daisy as she got out of the booth. Falcon stood up and helped Peach out as well and after a quick thank you from Peach, she followed Daisy to the women's restroom.

* * *

"Oh my gosh, Peach! Could you have even such a sweeter cutie pie than Douglas Falcon! Not as sweet as my Luigi boo!" Daisy exclaimed as they entered the bathroom. Daisy skipped over to one of the comfy couches in the powder room, next to the bathrooms. She sat down and gestured to Peach to sit down next to her. "I mean he's so funny! Gurl, a pack of hyenas could die from his ole jokes!"

Peach nodded. "I gotta say, he really has some interesting tales to share. But you like him a lot? Like were there any flaws in him or something?" she questioned Daisy.

Daisy twirled a finger through her sparkling hair. "Well Missy, if you ignore the amount pig gloop he puts in his hair, I say he's pretty divine! Just work on that greasy gelled head of his, I mean Peach darlin', he could leave a snail trail with all that hair gel!" Daisy and Peach laughed at her metaphor. "No joke! But yeah he's pretty alright with me, ma'am! But what matters most is if he is alright with you. What do you think, gurl?"

"Ever since we left he's just been a total gentleman and seemed very first time I met him, he seemed like an immature brat. I guess that's what his sister meant when she said he knows how to treat a lady."

"And does he know how to treat them well or what?" Daisy said with a laugh. She smiled back at Peach, making her smile as well. Daisy happy go lucky personality, always was joyful to Peach. "Now what do you think about me and Luigi? Am I acting alright for a country bumpkin?"

"Oh come on, Daisy! You're like a Southern Belle! You look great, Luigi looks handsome, and you two are so cute together!" Peach said with a squeal. "It's a good thing you two found each other."

"I know isn't it!" Daisy squealed as well grabbing onto Peach's hands. Their squeals caught a few looks from two middle aged women who were exiting out of their bathroom. The two models only innocently smiled before continuing their squeals when the elder women left out of the restroom. Daisy's blue eyes started to sparkle like diamonds. "I think he might be the one! But what about you? Do you see yourself going out with Falcon?"

Peach's happy mood evaporated, thanks to Daisy's question. "Well…I don't know. I mean…" She sighed, her blue eyes looking away from Daisy. Her mind went straight to Roy, who was probably still sitting at home due to her lie. "Daisy…" Peach suddenly found herself telling Daisy what happened the day before, making Daisy's eyes stop sparkling.

Daisy frowned. "Peach, you lied to Roy?" she said in disbelief, after Peach finished the whole story. "I know I told you to just tell him no. Not lie to the poor guy."

Peach suddenly felt her face getting hot. Then all of a sudden, a tear escaped out of her eye. "I know you did. But like I said, he overheard us talking and…Daisy when I lied to him…it hurt me so much."

"Well crying isn't going to solve anything, 'cept cause a large flood in this outhouse." Daisy said before pulling out a tissue from her purse to wipe the few tears escaping Peach's eyes. "You made a mistake. A bad one and you'll have to face Roy about it sooner or later darlin'. But the other thing is, you have to be true to yourself and make the right decision."

Peach nodded. "My friend Krystal said the same thing." She said softly. "But I'm just not sure what I want. I say to myself more, but I don't know what it is."

"It'll hit you when the time comes. But jeez, we've been in here for a bit. We better get back before someone has to sound the cowbell on us," Daisy said as she stood up. "Seriously though my friend. Whatever happens after tonight, remember you have me and your other friends to talk to okay?"

"Right." Peach watched as Daisy drew out her hand and she grabbed on to it gratefully. The two exited out of the bathroom hand in hand giving each other hopeful squeezes for best wishes. The boys caught sight of them quickly. Falcon stood up first along with Luigi, smiles on their faces, making the girls stop in their tracks. "Heh…what's going on?" Peach nervously asked.

"Well we already ordered the food, and it's going to be a while. So we thought why don't we do a bit of dancing while we wait to the Italian music? If you can even CALL this music. No offense, Luigi. " Falcon said, earning a laugh from Luigi. The two men seemed to be getting along well.

"Ooh, sounds like fun! I need to show these Italians how the people down south cut a rug!" Daisy says before linking on to Luigi's arm as they head to the dance floor.

"Or maybe us Italians will show you southerners a thing or two." Luigi said when they finally reached the dance floor and got into ready dance positions. Luigi had one hand wrapped around her waist and Daisy had one hand on his shoulder. Their free hands were clutched together as the two began to dance to the Italian music.

"So is the heiress of Joypadana Peach Harkinian, a dancer?" Falcon said placing a hand on Peach's shoulder.

Peach looked up at him for a second. He really was a handsome guy, but Peach wasn't one to become putty in any man's embrace. She only smirked and removed his hand from her shoulder and into his hand. "I don't know about her. But Peach Toadstool of Nintendo City is a wonderful dancer."

"Great. That's the Peach I want to get know." Falcon led her to the dance floor. He and Peach took the same positions as Daisy and Luigi had done before. Falcon gently placed his arm around her waist, making Peach jitter for a second. When the time was right, the couple moved in time with the beat and floated across the dance floor.

"Pretty nice." Falcon said softly, as they waltzed back and forth across the floor. "Haven't stepped on my feet once with those two inch heels yet."

Peach glared at him playfully. "You mean 2 ½ inch heels." She reminded him as they continued to dance. "I'll be careful not to stab your feet with them as long as you treat me right."

Falcon removed one hand from her waist to make a "saluting" gesture on his forehead. "Ma'am yes ma'am. Won't mistreat ya for a second!"

Peach giggled and grabbed his hand again. This time he let go of one of her hands to twirl her quickly. Her gold dress floated around with the twirl, making the dance move seem more elegant and graceful. She returned back into his arms and the two resumed dancing. As Peach kept dancing, she started to really have some fun. It was strange that someone like Falcon could have such a good impact on her after talking to him for only two days tops. Her lost feelings on everything else, her best friend, the things she truly desired, and just everything seemed to disappear every moment she spent with Douglas Falcon.

**Samus' Apartment**

There was a TV on with the movie Titanic on the screen. The film was at the point where the ship was going underwater; the part of the film usually everyone would want to watch. But Samus and Marth seemed to have other things on their minds: each other.

Samus was lying back against the couch, and Marth was leaning his body on top of hers as they were locked in a kiss. Their kissing wasn't rough and fast, but gentle and slow as if they had all the time in the world. Samus' arms were around his neck, her fingers playfully tickling it. Marth's fingers were trailing through Samus' now loose blonde hair, since he had pulled out the braid she had done earlier. Their position changed once again, as Samus seemingly looked like she was trying to get up. She seemed as if she was trying to stop kissing him, but as Marth continued to kiss her more affectionately her interest in kissing her boyfriend seemed to increase. This resulted in Samus only grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him down on her. The two started to go into round…who knew?

"Mm…Marth…" Samus finally moaned after Marth had stopped kissing her lips and had moved to kissing her neck. She heard him make a noise against her neck, but she wasn't sure if he was even listening or not. "Marth… a break." She protested, no longer kissing him but catching her breath. But Marth didn't stop. Samus groaned and eyed A pillow in the corner of her eye. She grabbed the pillow with her free hand. "I said BREAK!" She said loudly and with all her strength, whacked her boyfriend hard on his head.

Marth got off of Samus, and was now lying on his side next to Samus on the couch. He slightly rubbed his head. "Alright I get it. I just got a little too much into it."

"A little?" Samus repeated in disbelief. "You were like a vampire, sucking my blood. I thought we were never going to come back up." She joked as she lied back down on the couch next to him. She smiled as he slowly caressed her cheek as they lied there.

"When you're working with someone so beautiful, you can sometimes just get lost in your work." Marth said, still fondling her cheek. "I almost lost track of what we were doing before all this happened."

Samus wasn't sure either. They were watching the movie one minute and then she remembered Marth suddenly began playfully purring in her ear until he finally annoyed the crap out of her. This ended up with a little bit of wrestling and running through her apartment, until Marth tackled her to the couch and then they kissed. The rest of the time that went by was a blur. Samus remembered the phone may have rung a couple times, but she didn't get up for a second. She had to be thankful no one was in the house at the moment.

"Flattered, really," Samus said softly. She saw the clock on the wall. It read 7:15pm. _Everyone is probably still out on their dates and partying. It would've been nice if Marth and I could've gone out to do something. But we have to stay here. But it's been pretty quiet and romantic here. Real quiet and… _Samus' eyes widened and without warning shot up shooting her right arm out to roughly scaring Marth and making him roll off the couch to the floor. "Crap! Where is he?"

"Are you fond of causing pain to me?" Marth said, once again rubbing his sore head.

"Oh suck it up and help me look for Pikachu!" Samus exclaimed as she saw Pikachu wasn't in the bed she had made for him. The bed was on its side, but still sitting on the other couch. She got up quickly from the couch looking for the Pokémon. "Pikachu?" she called looking around in her living room. She mentally slapped herself for even starting to make out with Marth only to cause this dilemma to happen. The windows were closed, so thankfully he couldn't go through the window to fall to his death.

Marth finally got up from the ground. He gripped onto the couch, touching his blue and white jacket he was wearing earlier. It was removed by Samus sometime during their tussling and he wasn't exactly sure when. He sat up and watched the singer still running from one spot to another, still searching. He sighed, figuring he might as well help too. "Where would he go?"

"I don't know!" Samus said frantically, not looking at him but now thrusting open all her kitchen cabinets. _How could I be so irresponsible?_ She kept thinking. "Just look everywhere!"

"Oh.."

Samus turned to Marth. "You found Pikachu?"

"No. I can't find my cell phone. Do you know the last place I had it, Sam?" Marth asked as he looked in the pillow cushions.

Samus stopped looking in the cabinets and took a moment to narrow her eyes at her boyfriend with her arms crossed. Her hair was covering one of her eyes. "No I don't, Marth. I'm too busy looking for someone else who matters more than a phone!" she snapped at him before turning back to continue the quest for Pikachu.

Marth was now looking on the ground, really looking for his phone. He lifted the train of the couch to check under it. His cell phone was the first thing that caught his eyes, "Aha." He said softly and grabbed. He peered deeper under the couch and saw someone familiar. A bright yellow figure with brown stripes. "Hey Sam…"

Samus groaned. "Didn't you take the hint that I don't care where your phone is?"

"No, look. I found Pikachu under the couch." Marth said. Samus had run over to the couch in matter of seconds. She was now lying on her stomach and she looked under the couch to see the yellow Pokémon Pikachu.

"There you are!" Samus said, as the Pokémon chirped happily at her. She held out her arms as Pikachu happily jumped into them nuzzling against her chest. "Wow you seem much perkier than before. Why's that?"

As if Pikachu understood Samus'question, he went back under the couch making Marth and Samus exchange glacnes. The two shrugged as they lifted the sheets once again, to see what Pikachu had gone back under for.

**Chez La Suite**

" So what do you think?" Link Gaiden said as he opened the doors, to the outdoor area of the Chez La Suite. Zelda walked slowly into the room as if it were unfamiliar to her. She had been here before with Impa, but she couldn't believe that this same exquisite place could be the same place some poor street man like Gaiden could afford. The two had travelled down the streets for about fifteen minutes longer, (all those minutes focused on bickering with each other) and had walked into the restaurant. Zelda had watched as Link walked up to the host to give his name for reservations. She was expecting the host to reject him, but instead he said, "Ah yes, a Mr. Link Gaiden. Come right in, I'll show you to your floor."

Zelda looked at the familiar scenery. All the tables were under a very elegant looking gazebo. The floors were all covered in red carpet, hiding the hard gray concrete underneath. There were a few tables that were centered in the middle of the room, while the most popular tables were placed on the ends of the gazebo overlooking the lit up city below them. Zelda followed Link over to a table made for two, on the end of the gazebo with other two person tables.

"You know," Link said loud enough to capture Zelda's attention. "If we don't sit down right now, they may never take her order." Zelda had finally stopped glancing around and decided to take a seat. As she saw Link gesturing for her to sit down in the chair he pulled out, she only narrowed her eyes before pulling out the other chair and sitting down.

Link sighed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever…" he muttered before sitting down in the chair he had pulled out. A waitress headed directly to their table as they sat down. She had mocha colored hair tied back in a ponytail and brown eyes to match. She was wearing a white-collared top with sleeves ending at her elbows. On top of the top was black vest and she also had black slacks and shoes to match.

"Hi, my name is Katie. Do you already know what you want to…"

"Just a vegetable soup please." Zelda interrupted her. "Try to make sure they don't spice it up with too many spices okay? Bring me an iced tea as well."

"Um…okay," Katie said meekly. "O-our… sp-special is…"

Zelda looked up at Katie with the most hateful look in the world. "I didn't ask what the special was! Just pay attention to what comes out of my mouth and when I _**ask**_ you about your special of the day then you tell me."

Link watched the notepad in their waitress' hands start to tremble. _Good lord. Zelda made the girl crawl back into her shell. How can she be like that? Guess I better step in. _He cleared his throat and smiled kindly at Katie to show he came in peace. "I'd like to hear the special of the day Katie if you don't mind?"

Katie smiled weakly, turning completely away from Zelda, feeling safe with Link. "It's a special corn clam chowder. The restaurant's signature soup," Katie explained.

"Sounds great. I'll take one of those and just water for me please." Link said while Katie wrote the order down. He watched as Zelda rolled her eyes as if saying he was weak. Link was going to work to hard improve Zelda's attitude and what better time to start then right now. "Oh and could you excuse my friend here, Katie?" Katie turned when Link addressed. He gestured her to lean down as he cupped his hand to her ear. "You see she's on her…well you know…that one special time that occurs each month in a girl's life?"

Zelda blushed madly as Katie slightly giggled before retreating back out of their sight. Once she was gone, Zelda felt anger boil over inside of her as Link just looked at her innocently. "How dare you," she said through gritted teeth.

Link didn't seem fazed by her anger. "Well how dare you. You shouldn't have treated that girl like that. She was only doing her job." He suddenly frowned back at Zelda. "I mean I knew you had issues with some people like your sister. But with someone you don't even know? That isn't fair."

"Gaiden, when will you learn that I have the right to treat people however I want? If I want to snap at a waiter for being pesky, I can do it. If I wanted to have all these people removed so I can have the whole balcony to myself, it can be done." She leaned her body slightly over the table, her eyes looking as if they were on fire. "If I wanted you placed in jail for life for being the annoying being you are, I could do it in 1…2…3," she said in an evil whisper.

"Really now? Then what's stopping ya? I've been bugging you since day one, but wow…" Link looked at his hands and then looked down at his feet. "…there still aren't any shackles on my arms or feet."

"What? You think I don't have the guts to have you reported?" Zelda retorted.

"No, it's not that. But more, I think you don't want to do it." Link's face softened."You're not like that, Zelda. You play this tough role, but I know you're really not this hateful person."

Zelda leaned back into her seat, but didn't stop looking at Link with hatred in her eyes. "You keep saying you're looking for the real me. Let me tell you, you're looking at her right now." Zelda threw her hands up in the air, presenting herself to him.

"I don't believe that for a second." Link responded. They both looked to see Katie return with their drinks. She placed the water in front of Link and then the iced tea in front of Zelda. She looked at Zelda for one second before turning away quickly to cover her giggles. This only made Zelda glare at Link even harder. "You tend to love glaring at me. Has there ever been a moment when you just cracked a smile for me?"

"Never has been and never will. You have yet proven yourself worthy of a smile from me." Zelda commented before taking a sip of her iced tea. She tapped her fingers against the glass, making a clicking sound from her fingernails. She glanced at her watch to see it was only was going to slow.

"So…let's see. We got a little time on our hands, what do you want to talk about?" Link said, getting Zelda's attention. She only looked for a second before sucking her teeth and getting up to go look at the city. "Okay…a little scenery is good." Link muttered to himself before rising as well and joining her over towards the edge of the was only a short moment of silence before Zelda groaned.

"I didn't ask you to join me. Why don't you just go back and sit?" She demanded of him without taking a look at Link.

"But then we wouldn't be spending time together and that was part of the bet. So I'll be staying put till you start issuing out some info to me," Link said calmly. He sat down on the ledge of the building to look at the city. He sighed and a smile appeared on his face before Zelda.

"What are you smiling about?" Zelda asked in her snooty tone. She started to wonder if anyone would notice if she just gave a little shove to Link over the ledge.

"Nothing. Just thinking about the past when I would look over our old town with my mom. We would just sit there for hours and not say anything. It was just pleasant to be there together." Link answered. "I enjoyed spending time with my mother, before my little brother was born. Then he got all the attention, but by that time I was twelve so I didn't care. Did you have any moments with your mother and father like that?"

"Of course I did. We would go on family trips and other family outings. We had the best times together." Zelda's face softened a bit. She knew she had just told him a lie to cover up the truth: to ignore the fact that her parents never set aside time for them to just bond as a family. Everything they did only benefited themselves, not very much concerned about Zelda's feelings on anything.

"Oh. Well I guess paid vacations are somewhat the same." Link responded to her answer. "I was thinking maybe something sacred that you and your family had to call your own. But that's fine." He ended his comment in a slow mutter. The two of them were quiet again, as they continued to gaze at the night sky. The only noise heard was the sound of the other customers eating on the balcony floor and the sounds of silverware and plates clicking against each other.

"Okay. Maybe it isn't as close as you and your mother, but it's still family bonding." Zelda finally admitted. Link knew then that Zelda really did keep a lot of her true feelings inside of her.

He just hoped that one day, she'd tell him more. "You know, Zelda?"

Zelda looked at him and stared right into his aquamarine colored eyes. She never noticed what a beautiful shade of blue-green the man had in his eyes. Normally Zelda would've tried to stop herself for complimenting someone like Gaiden, but the thought just wasn't coming to her to do such a thing. She waited for him to finish his next words.

"I may come off annoying all the time. But it's not like I'm not doing it without a reason you know?"

_Why does that sounds so familiar? Didn't someone else say this to me? _Zelda pondered to herself.

"I'm only doing it so…" Link sentence was cut short as his eyebrows suddenly rose. Zelda looked at him as if he had lost it. He didn't respond to her look, but kept looking in the same direction. Zelda finally turned to see the host from the restaurant standing at the entrance to the balcony with a rather tall and intimidating security guard in a gray uniform and dark sunglasses right next to him.

"Dang…I didn't expect them to find out so early." Zelda turned when she heard those words muttered from Link's mouth. She suddenly had a scared feeling in her heart. What did he mean by that? She grabbed onto his sleeve, tugging him back into reality.

"Gaiden, what are you talking about? What's…" Zelda was cut off when Link grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her down to her knees on the ground. Zelda yelped in surprise and stopped herself from falling on her face by pressing one of her hands on the red carpet to keep her balance. "Gaiden…" she called, getting ticked for him yanking her down.

"Shh…" He said putting a finger to his lips. He suddenly started to creep across the carpet, crouching to his knees. Zelda being dragged by him, unfortunately had to follow the same position as him. He took her back to their table, still low on their knees. He stopped for a moment to peer over the table and Zelda took a look as well. The host and security guard had moved from the front door to into the gazebo, looking for something or possibly someone. She was about to protest again, but Link suddenly shot up and muttered to Zelda, "Get ready to move." Without warning, Link made swift and quick movements towards the exit of the balcony. Zelda stumbled a bit but followed him in suit, seeing she was still in his clutches.

"Almost there," Link said softly as they ran right back inside the restaurant. "Zelda, follow me," he said quickly. Link pulled Zelda as hard as he could through the busy restaurant, knowing Zelda was going to resist him as best as she could. But he wasn't going to tell her what was going on until they were a safe distance away.

"Gaiden, let go of me right now!" Zelda snapped, she finally yanked her arm free when they reached an elevator. She glanced at the elevator for a moment to see it was only one floor below them. It only took a few seconds before the elevator chimed and the door of the elevator opened. Link didn't waste a moment to rush inside the snug yet vacant elevator and easily gripped Zelda's arm again to pull her in with him. Zelda got her hand free again and hit Link hard on his shoulder finally getting his attention.

"What is going on?" She said in an angered tone. "Why are we running? If you don't tell me right now, I swear I will scream for help!"

"Hmm?" Link replied, as if Zelda's question was in a foreign language. Then he playfully smacked his head. "Oh that."

"Yeah _that_." Zelda reminded him slowing getting more annoyed with him. "Why did you do that? Was that security guard looking for you? What did you do?" Zelda had so many questions for this man, she didn't know where to begin. But it must have been something serious to make him run away from the host and security guard and she was somewhat afraid to find out what the answer was.

"Well…you see…" Link started.

"I think they ran in the elevator!" Link and Zelda gasped as they saw the security guard following the host who was pointing to the elevator they were occupying. The host was the one who shouted their location. "And that's our cue to leave!" Link pressed the number one on the elevator and then quickly pushed the "Close" button. Link watched through the closing elevator door, the host frantically pointing at their closing elevator, absolutely red in the face. _I don't think he saw our faces. We were standing towards the back of the elevator. _Link took a moment to look at glowing marquee showing the floor they were on. They had just hit the eighth floor and had seven more floors to go. "Safe for now. Oh…" He said as he still saw the suspicious look on Zelda's face. She looked like she was going to kill him at any moment.

"Right, you want an explanation." His guess was confirmed when Zelda nodded impatiently with raised, irritated eyebrows. "Well…remember when I said I could afford a place like this?" He watched Zelda nod, before continuing. "You see, I actually can't. But I do have a friend who works here who let me forge my name onto the customer list for a free dinner. So..eh heh…somehow they found out. I was expecting them to, but not so soon."

Link watched as Zelda just stared at him for a long time in silence. Her eyes somewhat seemed to get small and her head leaned forward, making her side bangs come out from back behind her long ears. Not wanting to take her eyes off Zelda, in fear of being attacked, Link only glanced at the elevator for a second to see they were now on the fourth floor.

Zelda finally sighed, closed her eyes, and suddenly started laughing! "You have got to be kidding me! I'm strolling the streets with not only a lower class man, but he's also a thieving convict!" she said still laughing, making Link a tad bit freaked by her unusual expressions. "What are the odds that my luck would run out this badly?"

"Yeah, some odds huh…" Link was cut off by Zelda suddenly getting in his face with a furious yell of frustration.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'D MAKE ME A PARTNER IN YOUR CRIME!" Zelda shouted so loudly, that the elevator started echoing her words. She was angry before, but now she was just in rage! How could she meet up with this…this…criminal? Link started to cower in a corner, as Zelda all of a sudden looked like a rampaging animal. "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT KIND OF IMAGE YOU'RE PUTTING ME IN ! Just think about it!" She said less loudly. "The senator's prized daughter is working a Bonnie & Clyde job with a LOWER CLASS IDIOT!" She raised her voice again. She started pacing back and forth in the elevator. "Why? Why? Why, Gaiden? What did I ever do to you?"

Link didn't even take another breath until Zelda's combustion fuels of rage disappeared. He was feeling guilty for doing this to Zelda, but right now all he was concerned about was getting her and himself away from the restaurant before they were put behind bars. "I'm sorry, Zelda. But we can hear about how much you hate me after we get out of here." He stopped the elevator, three floors before the bottom.

He grabbed her hand again and Zelda absentmindedly ran along with him, while she thought about what Impa said. _Gaiden is trying to be accepted by me as someone? If it's as a criminal, he has nothing to worry about! _She thought to herself as she suddenly snapped back into reality to see they were now running down the stairs. The stairs were covered in red carpet and the passage way of the staircase was pretty wide. Zelda had to grab onto the gold railing so not to stumble as Link bolted down the stiars. Link was moving pretty fast with his blonde hair flowing behind him.

"Zelda…" He suddenly called softly as they headed down the last floor of stairs. As they rushed down, Link could see all the other customers eating their dinner in peace. That was what Link was hoping to happen for him and Zelda. Maybe he should've just taken her someplace simple. This plan seemed like it was only making Zelda make a larger barrier between the two of them.

"Gaiden. I suggest you don't talk to me for a VERY long time." Zelda said, not wanting to hear any other pleas from his mouth. The two without another word, walked quickly outside of the restaurant. They pushed their way out of the revolving doors into the cool air. A gust of wind blew their hair for a moment, before continuing to flow through the rest of the busy streets. Link finally came to a stop and looked behind him. "They shouldn't be here for a while."

"My!" Zelda said loudly, to make him pay attention to her. "Aren't you just a lucky deviant?" Zelda turned from Link, her blonde hair flying at him like a slap to the face. "I should stay here and give them your name. It would serve you right."

"Would you really do something like that? I mean after all, you are a part of the crime as well now," Link informed her.

Zelda's jaw dropped. "I'm only a part of it because you dragged me here! You didn't warn me anything about your criminal record! They would understand my plea if I told them!" she explained.

Link pushed his hair back out of his face. "Yeah, but even if they did understand, there's no doubt they'll exploit your story in a tabloid ruining your family's reputation for months," Link explained, making Zelda become silent. He then took a deep breath before looking back at his innocent accomplice. "Zelda. If you don't want anything to happen, I suggest you follow me till we get far away from here." This time he didn't grab her hand but turned to his right and took off. "Your choice!" Link called over his shoulder, as he continued to run.

Zelda looked back in Chez La Suite to see the security guard reaching the front door. He wasn't actually buff but very husky. He was a redhead with red eyes a bit brighter than his hair. He seemed to not figure out they were outside, since he was still looking through the restaurant. Zelda closed her eyes and opened them. He was still there. She closed them again. Reopened them. He hadn't moved. _This isn't a dream. This is really happening to me! A sweet and innocent girl from Joypadana being degraded to her first crime! What has he done to me? _She watched as the security guard finally decided to come outside. Zelda took a deep breath and saw Link running slower than he was before. Was he waiting for her? Zelda sighed. _I'm going to regret this for the rest of my life! This has got to be one of the most cursed evenings I've ever experienced. _Without waiting another second, Zelda dashed as fast as she could to catch up with Link. She was halfway there when the guard finally came out of the front door.

Link turned and grinned when he saw Zelda was running to catch up with him. He looked back to see the guard hadn't noticed the direction they had left in yet. He sighed and looked down at Zelda who was now running next to him.

"Don't...say...a word." Zelda narrowed her eyes, shooting daggers into Link's more relaxed eyes. " I don't like you, Gaiden. You don't know how much I REALLY dislike you!" she said, but she kept on running beside him. She didn't know what made her make the decison to follow this fool into possibly even more trouble. But here she was, running away from the law with him.

"I'm glad you followed me. I don't think orange would've looked good on you, Zellie!" He said with a laugh. He looked back to see that the security guard had finally caught sight of them running. He wasn't sure if he saw their faces yet, but he wasn't going to take that chance. He chuckled again, making Zelda look at him. "This is some outing huh, Zelda?"

"_Yeah," s_he answered sarcastically. "_**Some**_ outing!"

**End of Part I**

* * *

**A/N: _Ha ha! So I bet some of you guys are like WHAT THE HECK! THIS WASN'T THE KIND OF OUTING I HAD IN MIND FOR ZELDA AND LINK!_**_ Shocker huh? Hee hee! You'll never know what I have up my sleeve people! So yeah Link has probably surprised a few of you! Yeah we're going to soon learn a lot about Link and whether this relationship between Link and Zelda will continue or disipate! Will Zelda and Link get caught and what else is in store for them this fine night?_

_Ooh and then RoyxPeachxFalcon triangle was something interesting as well! Roy was getting to Peach before, but things seemed to change as soon as she went out with Falcon. Is Peach's feelings for Falcon going to conquer over her feelings for Roy? Is Falcon as honest as he plays off? Who knows? I know! You'll find out soon in Part II! I'll work on it as fast as I can! I think its going to be much shorter! Congrats if you got this far!_

_By the way! If you guys don't mind, can I ask you a favor? Could you tell me which couple between the RoyxPeachxFalcon triangle, the Zelda/Link relationship, and the Samus/Marth couple has the most interesting story. Now note I said STORY not your favorite couple! Its going to be helpful towards making my decision for my next few chapters. I know its neck in neck between the triangle and Zelink but I'd still like to hear your opinion on which storyline has most of your attention! Just tell me in your review if you can! It will be appreciated! Anyway thanks for reading and please review if you guys are still interested in this mucha delayed story! Thanks again! See ya soon I hope!  
_

_**Royal Kenya**_


	18. Chapter Seventeen

_Hey all! How are you! Well sorry, for that late update again! I have a feeling I'm going to be saying sorry every update! College is very rough, but I found time to post it tonight! Whoo! All I needed was some inspirational music by Selena, Mariah Carey, S-Club 7, (Yes, I do mean that! XP) I tried to have this up yesterday for V-day, but some things occurred and I couldn't get to it. This is going to be a 27 page long fic. I'm sorry about the length. Well please enjoy and please point any mistakes if you fell like it._

_Oh and special thanks for__** Babykoalaprincess**__ beta reading my first section of her story! She's so sweet!  
_

_Thanks for your reviews! And please enjoy __**Part II**_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Some Part of Nintendo City**

_I'll ask myself again. What am I doing here? _Zelda kept repeating to herself as she kept trying to inhale air into her lungs. She was still running and she had been for the last three minutes. The heiress was slowly running out of steam from pushing her body to run for so long. It wasn't like her boots were the best running shoes. But of course, running from the law wasn't something she had planned nor expected. It was all thanks to the fool she was running with. Zelda didn't even have the energy to give Link Gaiden a look to tell him how much she hated him right now.

"You two stop!"

Their pursuer, the security guard from the restaurant, was still hot on their tail. However, it seemed he was distancing himself from his prey as his speed slowly began to decline. Zelda couldn't blame the officer since he had been running just as long as they have. This didn't change the fact however, that the guard was persistent and wouldn't stop trailing them till his job was done.

What would that job be? Catching his victims and locking them away. The crime? Link Gaiden and illegally sneaking into the Chez La Suite restaurant.

"I don't think this dude's going to give us a break." Link wiped some of the dripping sweat from his forehead. He prayed with all his might that he wouldn't be extremely musty after all this was over.

"Just figuring that out now, Sherlock?" His companion answered. Zelda was as graceful at running as she was at dancing. She took long strides, carrying her long distances. "You think police officers chase you for a set amount of time?"

"Well, yeah. You don't have to tell me that. But doesn't it remind of you of those old cartoons?" Link started up a conversation. Zelda was wondering how he could stay so calm. He smirked. "At least tell me you've watched cartoons?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Of course I have but what does that have to do with anything?" She said through pants, slowing escaping her throat.

"Well you know. When there's that chase scene and this chase music is playing in the background. The innocent people running away from the evil guy and stuff like that. Doesn't this remind you of those old cartoons?" Link smiled.

"Oh sure, except for we're the evil ones, you nimrod! In case you forgot what happened about 3 minutes ago, you illegally snuck the both of us into a restaurant." Zelda couldn't understand how he could joke at time like this.

Link looked behind him to see he and Zelda had slowed down and the officer was right on their tail. "We can at least make it fun. Watch." Link looked ahead as he saw a newsstand, selling enquirers and tabloids. He smirked, as an idea came to mind. Once in a close enough range, Link swiped his arm out knocking over one of the large magazine racks!

Zelda's eyes widened at the mischief he just created. "Gaiden! What are you doing?" She exclaimed as she saw the rack fall behind them. She could hear the owner screaming at them for ruining his rack. The running officer suddenly skidded to an attempted halt, but slightly tripped over the rack.

"I told you it's like a chase scene. Besides you said you didn't want your image ruined. So I'm just helping out by trying to slow him down," Link replied idyllically.

"The only thing you're doing is making him even angrier! Just worry about getting out of here without causing trouble!" Zelda snapped back. Was she meant to be cursed like this she asked herself, after glancing at the recovering security guard. It seemed he was only getting more furious.

"How good are you at jaywalking?" Link suddenly asked out of the blue.

"Wha…" Zelda's response didn't even escape her lips before Link grabbed her hand quickly. What was he doing now? She soon got her answer when she saw Link run out into the street with his hand in hers. She only gasped in horror at the craziness of this individual. Was he insane? "GAIDEN!" She screamed as she heard blaring horns around her, fearing she would get hit by a car.

"Don't worry, I got it!" Link called back as he dragged her swiftly across the long street in a quest to get to the other side. He was careful before hand to luckily check if there were any cars coming after. Sure he was having fun but he wasn't foolish. He smiled in satisfaction when the two made it to the other side of the street. "All in one piece?"

Zelda found her heart to still be in working order when they reached the other side of the street. "Yeah…for now!" Again she looked back at the disastrous scene Link had made. The guard had tried to mimic their moves but it seemed some cars had made it out to the street after they made it to the other side. Horns were blowing loudly, cars screeching, bringing pain to street dwellers ears and there were some screams in fear of accidents.

"I swear you are crazy!" Zelda said once Link let go of her hand and the two still continued to run. Link did not seem fazed by the destruction he was causing. "Do you realize that man could've been killed?"

"Well I wasn't expecting him to follow. It's his own fault if you ask me," Link replied. The red haired officer was finally onto the other side ready to pursue in the chase once again. Link sighed. He just couldn't shake him.

_Ok,ay Link. What are you going to do to get out of this one? I knew I was taking a risk, but I thought it would be a snap to get away. And now I get her in the mix of it. The least I can do is…_

Link took notice to the streets ahead of them. The last street called Vista, seemed to venture into a park. Link wasn't sure of which one, seeing there were so many parks. It was now or never. "Okay, here's the next part of our escape!" Link exclaimed, playing it off as a game.

"Oh I'm thrilled to see what plan you have up your sleeve next," Zelda said sarcastically. "Are we going to rob the nearest bank?"

"You're a riot, Zellie. As much fun as that would be, I think I'm gonna have to let you go at this next street." Link felt Zelda's eyes shift to him when he uttered those words. "We need to ditch this guy. So I'm gonna lead him on for a bit longer while you quickly go down the street to your left."

"Wh-what? Are you some kind of idiot?" Zelda stammered, slowing down in the process. "You can't possibly get away from him. You're just going to end up getting caught faster."

"Oh don't underestimate me, Zelda. I've done this before." Link regretted saying such a thing to Zelda. He didn't know what Zelda was going to think of him once all this chaos subsided. The street was coming up. "Just go ahead in turn, I'll be right behind you once I get rid of this guy."

Zelda for some reason still wanted argue her point. She spoke once again. "But Gaiden…"

"YOU TWO STOP RIGHT NOW!" the officer yelled once again. He had now recovered from both of the accidents. He was very persistent for an officer and in Link's opinion very annoying. "YOU'RE SLOWLY MAKING ME ANGRY!"

Link only glared, getting irritated with Zelda. "Just go alright? You said you didn't want any part in this. I'll catch up with you later." With that Link softly shoved her to the left before running straight ahead and leaving her.

Zelda took his hint and ran down the street. She was on a street even livelier than the first; couples were walking holding hands, gangs loitering around buildings, and loud music from bars were bursting in Zelda's ears. Once she felt she had gone down far enough, she came to a halt by parking meter. She swiftly turned around to see if Link was in her sight anymore.

He was gone, but Zelda did happen to see the officer running. The officer didn't notice her presence and kept running in the direction Link had gone in. She heard one more protest from the guard. But he was no longer after Zelda, but after Link.

Zelda sighed in relief. _Finally I'm out of trouble, thanks to Gaiden getting me to leave. Guess he's not as dumb as he looks._ Zelda retorted with a small laugh for her inside joke. She decided to walk down the street, but not without looking back again. She was wondering if Link was coming back this way. But she only saw the partying citizens living it up on street. Zelda bit her lip. _But I wonder if he'll even get away? He can't possibly run away forever. They'll catch him and put him away. The next time I see him he might be behind bars._

"Wha..What!" Zelda exclaimed out loud from her own thoughts. A couple passing by stared at her from her sudden outburst. She slightly laughed off her thoughts and shaking her head, surprised at her silly thoughts. _Heh…I don't care what happens to Gaiden! He got us into this mess after all! He'll get what he deserves. Yes, I don't care in the least bit._

Satisfied with her thoughts, she continued her journey down the unfamiliar street. Though she held an uncaring face on the outside, in her mind she kept thinking about what would happen to Gaiden. Again she criticized herself for such concerns. _It doesn't matter, Zelda! Just try and get back home…_Zelda glance around the street once again. In the city night life it was impossible to determine exactly where she was.

_If you can even find it. _Being unfamiliar with this new territory, all the dancer could do was wander the streets till she could find some kind of lead to the way back home. However, she was unaware of other dilemmas that would soon cross her path that night.

* * *

The writer smiled while placing the finished work in its compartment. But before stashing it away, the writer read it over one last time:

_Sincere and Beautiful  
This is what my Princess is to Me  
I stood by her side as her loyal subject  
Only there to be a servant_

_To provide a shoulder to cry on  
To pick her up when she was down  
To protect her from all cruelty  
As her guardian this is my duty_

_I thought as her protector  
I wasn't allowed to engage in any interaction  
With such a delicate and beautiful princess  
But this lovely goddess started to notice me_

_She started to care for my concerns  
She cared to ask how my day was going  
She tried to help me with my dilemmas  
What was going on here?_

_It wasn't clear to me  
But her heart full of sincerity  
It…struck a new feeling within  
My heart started to yearn to be by her side_

_To move from being her protector to her prince  
I would be a man she could always rely on  
She would know I would never let harm come to her  
Because I loved her_

_I'm not sure if this princess feels the same  
But she smiles at me with such sincerity  
I just want to call her the Goddess of Sincerity  
No one has a heart of gold like she does_

_I must end my memoirs here  
For I haven't improved my connections with her  
I'm still just seen as her protector  
I wanted to see why she took interest in me_

_She only smiled at me and said  
My protector when you're with me  
I always feel you see me as something  
You don't see me as just a princess_

_Just someone you have to protect  
But you have come to see me as your friend  
And I have come to see you in this way as well  
My Dear Guardian, You have given me life_

_Okay, so maybe it didn't happen like that  
She isn't that poetic, nor am I  
But what matters is what she calls me  
A Friend_

_And I'd never want to lose that title  
Will I ever make my feelings known?  
That my friend is another chapter_

**Hostel**

"_Come on you two. Let's go home."_

Krystal laughed at Fox's impression of the movie they were watching. They were just about at the end of a classic movie called "Homeward Bound." They had rented the horror movie Saw 4. But one of the store workers had absentmindedly slipped this DVD in the wrong case. Now they were stuck watching two dogs and a cat finding their way back home.

"It's sad that you know all the lines to this movie," Krystal said, before slouching down in the couch. With all the work from classes combined with dance, sitting on the couch to watch a movie was just heaven to her. It was even better since she was spending this splendid evening with Fox McCloud.

"My parents force fed this movie to me for years. They said, "Isn't it cute how animals work together to find their way home? So adorable…" and stuff like that." Fox said, earning a laugh from the violet vulpine. "Didn't your parents do the same thing to you when you were growing up?"

"Oh yes. My parents made me watch "Care Bears" over and over again so I learn the importance of being caring and sharing," Krystal commented.

"You too? My mom popped that video in the player every time I got in trouble in elementary school to my high school days. She said it was a way of cleansing me of my "hardcore nature," Fox said with tiny air quote gestures. The two humanoids laughed once again at their childhood memories.

"Ah…nostalgic memories," Fox replied sarcastically. He then reached over to his left to pick up the long black DVD remote. He tossed the device once in his hand. "So are you over this movie as much as I am?"

"Mm-hmm." She nodded as the fox stopped the DVD with a click from the large remote. "We only rented one DVD, thanks to our budgets. So what do we watch now?"

"Mmm…" Fox mumbled before clicking the power off the DVD player. The scrolling marquee reading, "DVD" disappeared and was now showing the news. Fox didn't waste a second in changing the channel with quick click. He didn't give the second channel a chance, clicking over quickly to the third channel.

"Oh!" Krystal protested, getting Fox's attention. "Go back a channel, please?"

_Even if it's something as small as changing a channel, she's always polite. How can anyone ever dislike her? _Fox nodded before changing the channel back. There was screaming coming from the film with some actors running around or crying. Fox then recognized the movie right away as he saw the boat breaking in half. "This is Titanic, right?"

"Uh-huh," Krystal answered, but not really paying attention to his question. She placed her fingers to her lips as she continued to watch the boat be torn to pieces. Fox watched in astonishment as Krystal's mild facial expression started to turn grim.

"You okay, Krys?" Fox said, reaching out his hand for her shoulder.

"Hmm?" Krystal's ears twitched as she turned to face him. She slightly moved her shoulder out of nerves when he reached out to her. She blushed, feeling shameful by her own actions. "I'm…fine. This movie gets to me every time I see it. I just can't believe it happened in real life. Just think about it. All those families who couldn't make it off the ship. Children growing up as orphans because their parents didn't escape. Even worse, some of the children didn't even make it on to the boat. It's terrible…just…" The last word faded out as Krystal was wrapped back into the film.

Fox could understand Krystal's feelings about it. As cheesy as the romantic plot was to him, it was a real eye opener to see so many victims. Fox could remember when he was little, how cool he thought it was to see the ship going underwater. He was too young and naïve to understand the meaning behind the movie. He looked back at Krystal. His eyes widened a bit as he noticed a look on Krystal's face. It seemed like she was going to start crying.

"…" Fox could only utter a small noise from his throat. Krystal wasn't fazed for a moment. _Should I just say it's a movie? Yeah, that'll really win her over. Well I could at least comfort her. _Fox slowly raised his arm, deciding to try and slide it across Krystal's shoulders. He moved slowly, reaching his arm out. Deciding to move a little closer, he drew his arm back and leaned over. However the fox had failed to notice Krystal's tail lying between them.

"Ow!" Krystal finally broke her glance from the TV and was now looking at Fox's hand smashing her beaded tail. "Fox! You're on my tail. Could you please…?"

"Ah!" Fox exclaimed removing his hand quickly. He felt terrible, watching Krystal now massage her pain struck tail. He knew that feeling. Having your tail messed with was one of the worse feelings in the world for him. He remembered the time he and Roy were playing football and the redhead had fallen on his tail when he tackled him. Painful memories. "Sorry Krystal," he muttered softly.

Krystal weakly smiled, still whimpering from the pain."It's alright. You aren't the first," she said coolly before turning back to the screen. She kept her attention on the movie, but watched Fox as well. _Oh. Maybe I shouldn't have responded like that. It was an accident after all. I guess this is why we haven't as of yet become a couple._

_How can I stop screwing myself like this? I get these moments alone with Krystal and I always mess them up. Will there ever be a moment for me to express my true feelings?_ He sighed before looking at the film again. He watched as the two main characters Jack and Rose were getting ready to jump from the boat. He suddenly laughed. "Here comes the cheesy part."

"Hmm?" Krystal's eyebrows rose as she turned to her friend. "Cheesy? This is one of the most romantic moments of the movie. It's the same place where Jack held Rose and it was so romantic. How is that possibly cheesy?"

Fox chuckled. "Come on, Krys. Listen to the lines and the sappy music playing in the background."

"It's all beautiful if you ask me," Krystal said in disagreement.

"Oh. So you would love it if Jack came and said…" Fox gently placed Krystal's hands in his own. His peridot green eyes stared into Krystal bright green eyes. "Rose," he said softly with a serious look on his face, making Krystal want to giggle.

"Yes, Jack?" Krystal said in a soft voice.

"I want you to promise…promise me. Whatever happens, you will not let go of my hand," Fox said in a romantic voice, making Krystal want to melt. "Do not let go! Promise me."

"I'll…I'll never let go." Krystal said staring deep into Fox's eyes. A sudden sensation started to swirl into the two humanoids' bodies. It was strong feeling of…no it couldn't be, they said to themselves. Their hearts were pounding hard against their chests. Faces were getting hotter, rosy colored cheeks were developing. Krystal was lost in a trance, as she felt herself drawing closer to Fox. "Never let…" Her last words were silenced by Fox's lips pressing against her own. She didn't jump back in fear or push him away in anger. She only let her eyes slowly close and let the kiss lead her actions from there. The feeling was just perfect. His lips against hers just felt so loving and warm.

Fox didn't know what moved him to kiss Krystal. He wasn't planning this moment at all from acting out a scene from the movie. But here he was, kissing the woman he loved. He felt a smile slightly curve on his lips as he pulled the vulpine closer to his body. He loved being able to kiss her soft lips and holding her smooth beautiful body in his arms.

Out of all the memories the two enjoyed, this would be the one they would always cherish the most.

"And…TOUCHDOWN!" a voice shouted. Krystal's and Fox's eyes slowly opened to see a familiar red head, leaning on the back of the couch. The two broke apart with a surprised yelp, making Roy only grin wider. "And the crowd goes WILD!" He added with a laugh.

"ROY!" The two humanoids shouted. "LEAVE!"

But Roy only grinned wider, shifting his eyes from Krystal to Fox. "So you yell together and make out together? Aww…the perfect couple."

"Um…" Krystal stared at Fox. _Are we a couple now?_

"What are you doing here anyway?" Fox asked, changing the subject.

Roy held one finger up. "First off, I live here. That pretty much gives me the right to wander where I please." He ignored Fox's irritated look and held up a second finger. "Secondly, I thought I would give Peach a call while getting some food," he said, showing them his silver cell.

"Peach!" Krystal exclaimed, getting perplexed looks from both Fox and Roy. She gulped in embarrassment. Before Peach had left, she had asked her to make sure Roy didn't find out how she was out with Douglas Falcon. "Um…what do you want to talk to her for?"

Roy's blue eyes stared at Krystal, astonished by her question. "I was going to ask if she was almost done at her photo shoot. I thought maybe we could do something when she got back from modeling."

"Oh…right. Well, I'm sure she's really busy, Roy. Photo shoots could take hours. Just wait until she calls you."

"…eh…I'm not the waiting kind." Before Krystal could protest, Roy pressed the send button on Peach's name on his speed dial. Krystal felt her panic start to choke her as the room became silent. _Please don't pick up…_

"Huh," Roy said all of a sudden, making the two occupants of the couch look up at him. "Went straight to voice mail. Guess she's too busy." He shrugged in defeat. "That's a drag."

Fox chuckled. "Heh…she is pretty hard-working when it comes to her job. I'm sure she'll call back when she finds the time."

"Exactly!" Krystal piped in. "So, why don't you try to preoccupy yourself with something else?" She insisted quickly.

Roy lowered his eyes and smirked. "Why? So you and Fox can play some more touch football?" He snickered to himself, getting glares from his friends. "Ha, I guess it's about time for this halftime show to be over. Commence with the second half!" He joked before pushing himself off the couch and walking away. "See you lovers later."

He only walked a few steps before turning back towards them. "By the way, I loved that little Titanic scene," he said with a laugh. "Rose, promise me. Promise you won't let go of my hand!" He mimicked Fox's earlier acting. "Oh Jack!" Roy switched to a higher and more girly voice copying Krystal. "I'll never let go! Never…never…never! Ohhh! Hold me!" Roy finished off with some "kissing" noises before laughing himself right out of the room.

Once he was away, Krystal leaned back into the couch along with Fox. They sighed in sync. Fox turned to her and chuckled. "Our friend is such an idiot."

Krystal nodded. "Truly he is."

The room fell silent again. The two glanced at each other once again, smiling happily without words. Krystal leaned over close to Fox, while he held his arms out and held her. He softly kissed her on the forehead, making her blush.

"Best night ever," The two said to each other dreamily.

**

* * *

**Meanwhile, Roy had wandered his way into the kitchen. He thought he would have the kitchen to himself, but found another roomer sitting on a stool. By the long and wild black hair extensions Roy could tell right away it was Carly Rhodes, Chuck Rhodes' trampy wife.

Carly would have possibly been beautiful if she hadn't compacted her face with loads of make-up. She was a fairly curvy woman in the hips and thighs. But her most visible feature was her large set of tanks she called boobs. It was the first thing anyone saw whenever they looked at Carly. She was always dressed in low cut tops, just like red tube-top she was wearing. It was like they were going to pop out at any moment.

Not wishing to say any words, he sashayed over to the refrigerator. He had just opened the fridge door when he heard Carly make a noise. He sighed. _Here we go._

"Hey, carrot top head," she said in her annoying high-pitched voice. It was like her voice could break all the windows in the house.

"Like I tell you time and time again, my name is Roy." Roy muttered out of frustration. It would piss Roy off to no end when she screwed up her name and it made him just want to make her pay. But being the gentleman he was, he decided punching a girl out wouldn't be too polite.

"Right, right, Roy boy. Keep forgetting," she said with a crazy laugh. She ran a hand through her fake hair, some slipping over her brown eyes. "So anyway, think you can help me? I wanna get back at Chuckie. He's been cheating on me."

_Oh and like you haven't been doing the same thing? _Roy thought to himself, while pulling out a soda from the fridge. "What does that have to do with me?" He was starting to wish he didn't ask. As soon as he rose from looking in the fridge, he was greeted by Carly's boobs. He quickly looked away, wondering why she was near him.

"Oh don't make me beg Roysie," she said in a seductive voice. Her cat like eyes stared into Roy's own. "I need you to play the "Lover Game" with me for a while. So I can teach Chuckie a lesson?"

"Huh?" Roy backed away a bit, as Carly tried to place her fingers on his chest. "You must be joking. Me and you?" He laughed at the thought. "Please stop. Death from laughter is very common." he retorted before getting past Carly.

Carly didn't waste any time in running and getting in Roy's way again. This time she found a way to get her hands on Roy's shoulders. "Oh please, Roysie. You're the perfect guy to make my Chuckie learn his lesson. I mean all we have to do is go on a few dates making sure Chuckie sees us. Then we can put the icing on the cake if you let me play…with that sexy bod…."

"Yeah…right," Roy said, before removing her hands from him. "Please don't touch me. I'm not attracted to the aroma of trashy tramps." He backed away and started to head out of the kitchen. "There's only one person I care about," he said.

Carly let out an aggravated cry. "What is it with you college kids? Do you all just have the perfect lives with your lovers? Especially that blonde friend of yours and her stud of a date."

"…" Roy could only think of one person who fit that description. He turned around to face her. "What did you say? Who had a date?"

"You know who. That blonde girl with that fruit name. What was it? Pear?" Carly rolled her eyes. "Whatever. She went out with some hottie earlier on! I saw him. I'd love to play doctor with him," she said dreamily.

_Peach went out with someone else? But that would mean she... _Roy said in his mind. He shook his head, trying to make that thought evaporate. _No, she wouldn't lie to me. She never has, why would she start now? No…I have to make sure! _Roy stepped out of the room quickly, not saying another word to the black haired woman.

"Offer still stands!" Carly called before sitting back down and checking her cell phone to see which other guys she could play around with.

Roy left the room and quickly pulled out his cell phone. He thought about calling Peach, but had remembered her phone was off. Who could he call? An idea came to his head as he poked through his address book on his phone again. He stopped at a name and pressed send. The phone rang only twice before someone picked up.

"_Hey Roy, what's up?" _Marth said from the other line.

"I'm about to find out. Let me talk to Samus please." Roy knew Marth was going to ask why, but he had enough thoughts to deal with. "I'll explain later, just put her on."Roy could hear him calling his girlfriend's name. They only exchanged a few words before he could hear Samus' voice on the phone.

"_Is everything okay, Roy?"_

"Everything's fine. But I was wondering. Does your dad have the phone number to Gem's modeling studio? I thought since they were both in the same building, they'd exchange numbers. I need to reach Peach."

"_Um…yeah I have it. But it'll do you no good. The studio is closed at this time of night. It always closes early at 5pm every Friday," _Samus replied.

"What? But…I mean maybe Gem just decided to work overtime on a shoot," Roy replied, making up excuse. He didn't want to believe his best friend had lied to him like this.

"_But he went out to dinner with my parents tonight like they do every almost every Friday. It's traditional."_

"I see," Roy answered solemnly. What was Peach Toadstool hiding from him?

"_Besides…" _Samus started, breaking the silence._ "Why would Peach be modeling? Isn't she supposed to be out…"_ Samus cut her voice short, getting Roy's attention automatically. _"Oh…"_

"Oh? "Oh" what?" Roy exclaimed. Samus didn't answer back. "Samus, do you know something?"

"_No...it's…it's nothing."_ Samus replied, now stammering.

Roy wasn't fooled by Samus' stumbling. There was a secret. "Samus," he said in a serious tone. "I need you to tell me. Where is Peach and who is she with right now?" he asked. Once again, Samus was hesitant. He was getting annoyed with all these secrets. "Samus! You have to tell me." He was no longer asking, but demanding it from her.

"…" Samus sighed over the phone before speaking once again._ "I guess there's no point in hiding it. So I'll tell you…"_

**Outside of Nintendo City**

"This is great. We get Italian food, do a little dancing, and end the evening with a little ice cream; best way to end a date eh?" Falcon said before biting the last of his ice cream cone. He licked his lips. "Much better than Italian food."

"Ha, you took one look and didn't even try that okra pasta." Peach pointed out with a laugh. Her companion laughed as well, knowing she was speaking the truth. She only smiled before looking out at the Nintendo city. After dinner, Luigi and Daisy had parted from them to do their own thing. This left Falcon and her to find some other things to preoccupy themselves. So they went to get some ice cream and were now sitting in an unfamiliar part of Nintendo to Peach. Nintendo City was known for its buildings and lack of nature. But here they were sitting in Falcon's car on the peak of a hill overlooking Nintendo City. Peach was amazed at how beautiful Nintendo city was from a distance. The lights all twinkled like a Christmas tree. She could just see everything. At one point, she even tried to look for her apartment building.

"This is really lovely. I didn't even know this place existed," Peach said softly.

"Yeah. My step-dad used to take me, my mom, and my sis up here for picnics and things like that. It's paradise. And I thought I'd share of little of my paradise with you," he said slyly, looking into Peach's eyes.

"Mmm…" Peach felt an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"So anyway, I guess I should thank you again for inviting me to this dinner. Your two friends are alright. How long have they been going out?"

"Um…it's only been about three or four days I suppose. I think they're really made for each other," Peach said softly. She could feel Falcon's eyes following her conversation with full interest.

"Yeah, but they didn't look as good as us together." Falcon laughed when she saw Peach's eyes widen at such a comment. "I meant in attire. My tux and your dress? Don't you think they went well together?"

"Oh…" Peach felt herself blush and shifted her eyes away from him. She brushed off his comment with a hesitant laugh. "I'm really enjoying looking at this city. Simply beautiful."

"Yeah…kinda like you." Falcon replied before reaching out and caressing Peach's cheek. She suddenly coughed and moved away from him. He sighed and dropped his hand. "Am I scaring you?"

"Huh…no." Peach said blushing even harder.

"I think your cherry red face thinks otherwise." Falcon said with a laugh. He backed away, placing his hand on the steering wheel. "Sorry, I guess I'm moving a little too fast huh? I just thought you were feeling me, like I was feeling you."

"Well…" Peach started. "It's not that. I just have other things on my mind. I feel like just being out here with you is wrong. Like I'm being a traitor."

"A traitor?" Falcon's blue eyes widened. "Traitor to who?"

"One of my friends I really care about. I feel as if being here with you is just going to end up hurting him in the end." She admitted. _Why am I even mentioning this to him? He's probably going to kick me out of his car and leave me here._

"I see. He must be really special then." Falcon was a little bit peeved to hear there was someone else in Peach's life. He thought it would be a snap to win her over with his charming nature. But now this "other" was getting in the way of his goal. But maybe it wasn't too late to get Peach to come to him. He was a pro at these kind of things after all.

"Yes. He is," Peach answered. Besides the soft rock music playing on the radio, the car was silent. She sighed maybe this was a bad idea after all. "I'm sorry if I'm just ruining this date for you. But I'm just so unsure of myself."

Falcon chuckled. "Unsure? Just because you feel like you're doing the wrong thing?" Falcon asked. Peach nodded. "Well…I guess that could be true. But did you find anything about being with me that you hated."

"No," Peach answered. "I enjoyed every minute of it. You're really fun and you make me laugh with your crazy stories. It's really great being with you."

"Is it? Well then let's test how great." Without warning, Falcon cupped his hands under Peach's chin bringing her lips over to his. He gently kissed them getting a slight mutter from Peach in surprise. But he only kissed about her a second or two before breaking away. "So, what do you think?"

Peach felt like she was on fire after he kissed her. It was such a loving touch with feeling. Peach felt a smile curve on her lips. She liked it. She stared at the handsome racer, who only returned the same smile. _How come I can't think anymore? Nothing is coming to me. I'm not even thinking about…about…him. _"I…I enjoyed it actually." Peach said shyly.

Falcon only grinned in satisfaction. "Did you really? Well I enjoyed it as well. Would you like to finish it?" he said slyly moving in closer to Peach, sliding an arm around her shoulder.

Peach looked at him. He just wanted to kiss her again. She could tell by all his gestures. But for some reason she wanted to kiss him again too. Not answering his question, she only leaned over to let him kiss her fully. She felt him wrap his arms around her and then everything else was a blur from there. All she could feel was his touch, as he pulled the seat handle to push her car seat back, as it started to get a bit more intimate.

_What is going on? _Peach thought to herself. _I'm not feeling guilty anymore. This…this is okay. I'm not doing anything wrong. It's like Krystal and Daisy said, I should follow what my heart wants and not worry about…about what he'll think. Right now, this is all I want. _She said to herself, as every single thought about her best friend slowly slipped away from her mind.

**Nintendo Streets**

"Here you go, miss." The elder store owner said, while returning Zelda the hot green tea she had bought.

"Mm-hmm," Zelda responded before opening up the package and walking out of the store. She was greeted by the cool air of the party city. _I really hate this city. But at least I can drink something soothing while trying to find my way back._

She took a glance at her cell phone clock. It was already 8:00pm. She sighed as she looked back in the direction she guessed she came in. She had been wandering back and forth from street to street trying to find her way home. But she felt she was only getting further away from her destiniation. _How long does it take to ditch a security guard? I've been walking around here completely lost and Gaiden still hasn't shown up. This is not how you treat a woman on a date. I mean …gathering._

Zelda bit her lip. _Maybe he really did get arrested. Now how am I supposed to get back? I better call Impa. Oh! Maybe if I let Impa know what Gaiden did, she'll get a restraining order for me and I'll never have to see him again. _Getting excited for that possibility, she quickly pressed "send "on her speed dial to her home phone. As she was walking and waiting for the phone to pick up, she looked to see a large aurora of lights flashing brightly ahead. It was a nightclub by the amount of people waiting outside.

Zelda felt a frown come to her face. _Ugh…disgusting. Who would want to go to such things?_

"Yo Zelda!" a voice called.

Zelda turned expecting it to be Link Gaiden, but was surprised to see another unwanted face. The name of Samus' ex-boyfriend had escaped her. She only glared his way, before absentmindedly hanging up her cell phone. Jean Thomas only smiled when he saw Zelda turn towards him. He was dressed in sleeveless black shirt and torn baggy black jeans. He smiled his sly smile at the irritated heiress. He was standing in front of the line to get into the club. "It is Zelda, right?"

"I'll let you be the judge of that," Zelda replied.

"Aren't you going to ask me what I'm doing?" Jean asked her innocently.

"To tell you the truth, I haven't the slightest interest in what you're doing." She was determined to leave as soon as possible.

"Well…I'm planning on going into this Dino Tech. Ever heard of it, babe?" Jean asked, ignoring Zelda's previous comment.

Zelda groaned. _This guy makes Gaiden look like a saint. I wouldn't be stuck here if he didn't…no…I don't need him. I can get out of this situation without him. _"No and I would rather not hear anything else about it." She tried to move, but Jean easily blocked her.

"Come on. If you go in there with me, Pretty Zellie, I'll show you a real good time. Besides we haven't really got to know each other well yet and any friend of Sammie's is satisfaction to me," he said swiftly.

"I'll pass. There are a lot of things I would rather do than go to some idiotic club with someone like you. So if you'll excuse me." Zelda tried to continue walking but Jean somehow curved an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. Zelda looked at him in shock, dropping the tea she had in her hands. "What do you think you're doing? Get your hands off me! Do you know who I am?" She couldn't believe this commoner had the audacity to grab her like this.

"I know who you are," Jean said slyly. His eyes were going wild and lustful while holding the heiress with his arm. "You're rich heiress, Zelda Harkinian. And now you're going to be my sexy, little date. You're going to love it in there," he said with a laugh as he started to drag Zelda to the entrance of the club.

"Hey!" Zelda shouted in absolute anger. "I said let me go!" She yelled before successfully getting out of his grasp. She tried to take this moment to run, but Jean was much quicker and grabbed both her wrists. He then proceeded in tugging her again. "Stop!" she protested. She was no longer feeling angry…but scared.

"Come on, babe. I promise you we're going to have a _**good **_time." Jean said with a smirk. He was a lot stronger this time and he was slowly pulling Zelda to the entrance.

Zelda only looked at the people who were watching this take place. Weren't they going to help her? They were laughing and making cat calls. _No…they're all drunk. This is just a fun little game to them. No one cares what this man might do to me. _Sick thoughts came to Zelda's mind, making her panic even more. She couldn't get away. What was she going to do?

Suddenly as quick as a whistle, two arms grabbed Zelda from the shoulders. She gasped slightly as these arms pulled her away from Jean easily. She shut her eyes in fear. Was this another man trying to hurt her?

"Who are you and what are you doing with my date?" Jean said angrily, once he turned and saw who grabbed Zelda.

"Heh…your date?" It was a male voice.

_Wait…I recognize that voice. _Zelda looked up to see her savior…Link Gaiden? There was no mistaking the unique aquamarine colored eyes. He wasn't looking at her, but now looking Jean with his casual smile on his face. "Hmm…doesn't look like it to me. Seems more like she was trying to get away from you."

"How is this any of your business?" Jean snapped back at Link.

"Because you see…" Zelda silently gasped as Link's arms moved from her shoulders to protectively around her body, hugging her. Zelda couldn't help but blush by how close he had gotten to her. "Zelda Harkinian is with me tonight."

"Wha…" Jean started, his eyes getting bigger. "She's your date?"

"No. But it's my responsibility to keep her safe from men such as yourself. You can say I'm more of her bodyguard," Link said before meeting eyes with Zelda. Somehow Zelda could tell he wasn't going to let anything happen to her, making her not feeling so scared anymore. She relaxed a bit against Link's embrace.

"Hey…" Jean said backing off. Normally Jean would've fought for Zelda right then and there. But he was intimidated by Link's height and body build. He was at least a couple inches taller than him. "I…I wasn't going to do anything to her. We were just going to do a little dancing."

"I see. Well… just see that in the future, you do not bother Miss Harkinian again. Or else you're going to have to answer to me." Link threatened him and yet he was still smiling. He then looked down at Zelda, who was still appalled by everything that had just happened.

"Now, shall we get going?"

All Zelda could do was nod before Link guided her away from the club, leaving Jean there in anger. The people outside the club were now laughing at his failed attempt in making Zelda his.

As they were walking away, Link finally released his arms around Zelda. The heiress backed away slightly, still a bit lost. Link only chuckled. "That was a riot, wasn't it? Sorry I had to grab you like that. But I didn't think I would get my point across to the guy if I didn't. Are you okay?"

"I'm…fine…" Zelda finally found her voice. But she couldn't find anything else to say. _I can't believe he just…saved me. I never expected this…_

"So I don't know about you, Zelda. But I am starving!" Link laughed again. He pointed ahead to what looked like a diner. "So how about we head to that eating joint? Oh and don't worry, I'm paying this time." He said with a cocky grin.

Zelda only stared up at the blonde male. She wasn't expecting him to come back at all. But he came just in time. He saved her…and held her. Held her in his protective, warm arms. Zelda's fading blush was slowly creeping back as she remembered the feeling again. The thoughts ended as she saw Link now looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well…are we going to eat or not?"

"Um…yeah," Zelda said softly, not even a hint of snobbish attitude in her voice. "Let's go."

**The Hostel **

**(Hour later)**

_Why would she do this? It's not like her at all._

Roy was sitting on the windowsill in his bedroom, staring out at the bustling night life of the city. But mainly, he was looking for a car to pull up. Preferably, whatever car Peach Toadstool and Douglas Falcon were riding in. So far for the past hour, fifty-two cars had passed by the place. He knew more had passed by through the hour, but he had lost count. Too many thoughts about Peach crossed his mind. Roy had to admit he was shocked when Samus told him the horrible truth. The truth that Peach had lied to him. Lied. Something Peach had NEVER done to him in years. They were always honest with each other, until now.

"_I mean if I wasn't going, you'd…you'd definitely be my first choice! I mean you're my best friend! I haven't found a guy yet to have fun with besides you!"_

Roy replayed yesterday in his head. He would be her first choice. _I guess she only said that to make herself feel better and thought I'd fall for it. And I did… _Roy angrily kicked his foot against the windowsill. _We've always been honest with each other. I would've understood if she would have told me. Well…maybe after a little while. I mean why would she even go out with the guy? And how long has she shown interest in him? _Roy thought back to last Saturday when Falcon had given Peach a ride home. _Maybe it was then. But doesn't she realize he's an aggressive monster?_

"Of course not," Roy answered himself. "Peach is completely won over by Falcon's supposed sweet side. The one that cares for his sister, unknowing to the one that threatened and throttled Marth until he could barely stand. If Marth didn't keep me stuck on his stupid promise, I would tell Peach in an instant about everything. But who knows. She may still remain attracted to the guy."

Roy looked down one last time to see a car pull up on the side of the street. Roy had recognized the red car from yesterday's encounter with Falcon. There was loud rock music playing from the car only a few seconds longer. Roy immediately got up from his seat on the window and headed out of his bedroom.

**

* * *

**Meanwhile outside, Falcon was walking Peach to the front door with an arm around her shoulder. Peach was simply smiling, feeling happy with how the evening ended up. She had to admit she enjoyed kissing Falcon while looking out to the city. It was the most romantic date she had ever been on.

As soon as they were on the steps of the hostel, Falcon moved his arms from around Peach's shoulders to her waist. He smiled down at her. "So you really did enjoy yourself?"

"Yes. I really loved it. You planned this idea from the beginning didn't you?" Peach said. She loved the feeling of his arms around her slim waist. He had such a sensual touch.

"Of course. I always do my best to satisfy beautiful ladies," Falcon said smoothly.

Peach giggled. "I see. Well then, I should reward you one more time for bringing me such satisfaction." Without warning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fully on the lips once more. She only smiled in pure happiness when the kiss became intimate.

However, someone on the other side of the front door could not share in this same pure happiness. Only in absolute pain.

Falcon broke away slowly and licked his lips. "You have some cherry kisses, Blondie," he joked.

"Why thank you." She giggled once again. She felt she may have found what she was longing for.

"So I guess we will be doing some more dating in the future then?" Falcon asked, even though he was sure he knew the correct answer.

"Of course," Peach answered. "Whenever you want to meet up, I'll be happy to."

"Good. I'll keep you posted." He swiftly kissed Peach on the cheek. "Until then. Good night."

"Good night," Peach replied dreamily, as he walked down the steps to his car. As soon as he got in, the engine revved and he was down the street in seconds. Peach absentmindedly fumbled through her purse for her keys. Finally after a few attempts, she found the gold key and opened the front door. The room was pretty dark. It seemed like everyone was either out of the building or had turned in for the night. Strangely it was only 9:00pm so what could everyone be doing? Her answer was somewhat answered when Krystal came into the front lobby.

"Hey, Kryssie!" Peach bubbly called. "Oh my gosh! I have to tell you everything that happened on my date."

Krystal weakly smiled. But something else was on her mind. "Um…Peach. That might have to wait."

"What? Why?" Peach said with laugh, confused by the seriousness in her voice.

Krystal slowly walked up to Peach, close enough to whisper. She sighed, preparing for her announcement. "Peach, Roy knows. He knows you lied to him and went out with Falcon."

It was like those words brought Peach back to reality. Everything that had occurred earlier on this morning had returned in seconds. One good date with Falcon and she completely forgot about Roy. There was a sudden sick feeling in her stomach. What was she going to say now?

"I…I see." Peach eyed her best friend suspiciously. "How did he find out?"

"It wasn't me," Krystal protested. "But, he had called Samus to ask where you were and I guess he made her tell him."

"Really?" Peach bit her lip. _Well I didn't tell her to keep it a secret, so I can't blame her. But I will have to face Roy now. _She ran a hand through her blonde hair, to calm herself down. "Um…where is he now?"

"I think I just saw him go into the lounge. Do you want me to come with you?" Krystal asked.

"Um…no. No I don't want to get you into this. I'll handle it on my own, Krystal." Peach replied, looking over to the lounge; the place where Roy was waiting. She took a deep breath and exhaled before walking in that direction. She heard Krystal tell her she'd be in her room if Peach needed her. She only nodded once, before she heard the vulpine run upstairs.

She walked slowly into the lounge, heels clicking at every step she took. She peered inside and sure enough, Roy was in there sitting on the couch. He seemed to be absentmindedly flipping through one of the magazines. He was staring hard into magazine, not even acknowledging Peach's presence as she entered the room.

Peach cleared her throat. Then she readied herself. "Hey," she said softly.

Roy's hand froze on the page he was holding. It slipped out of his hands and fell back in its place. Roy looked up at Peach, giving her an emotionless stare. "Hey," he said half-heartedly.

He didn't take his eyes off her, waiting for her next response. Peach decided to sit in the couch diagonal from the one Roy was sitting in. She felt like she didn't deserve to be near her best friend. "Krystal told me you found out where I really was tonight."

"Yeah I did," Roy said. Peach could sense the spite in his tone. She started to feel even worse. He crossed his arms, looking disapprovingly at her. "I didn't think it was true. But I heard it from three people. It was first Carly, who told me she saw you leave with Falcon. Then I had to get Samus to tell what was going on. Then Krystal just confirmed it for me." Roy chuckled. "You know, out of you and those three girls, I expected them to be the liars." Roy then gave Peach the coldest stare ever. It sent chills up Peach's sides. "But in the end, it was my best friend who was lying to me. Someone I thought I could trust."

"Listen Roy…" Peach started.

"No. You listen to me, Peach," Roy snapped, in a heated tone. He felt slightly bad for snapping at her, but at the same time he was angry. He just couldn't believe she could do this to him. And after seeing them kiss at the front door, this sealed his anger. "I just don't understand why you lied to me! I'm your best friend!" He suddenly stood up, throwing the magazine back on the table. "You're supposed to tell me everything!"

"I wanted to tell you, but…"

"But what? Did you think this would be more fun? To keep me thinking my best friend would never lie to me! To think she was out doing a photo shoot? To say to me, "Oh you would be my first choice if I did go, because I can't think of any other guy I could have fun with?" Well let me tell you that I'm not laughing." Roy said rudely. "What were you thinking!"

"You're angry with me for not bringing you?" Peach questioned, slowly getting agitated at Roy scolding her. _He's never acted like this before._

"No! I'm angry that you lied to me! To top it off, you go with a complete jerk!" Roy looked as Peach gasped, as if it were a big shock. "You know it's true, Peach! Remember this was the guy who threatened Marth remember? He's the one who…" He halted himself, remembering not to say anything.

This left an opening for Peach to speak. "He's not a jerk! He's a very kind guy! I know it may have looked bad that day, but he was only doing it to protect his sister! He was just concerned."

"There must be a new definition for the word "concerned," because Douglas Falcon is anything but that! He's ruthless, Peach! I just can't believe you lied to me just to go with him!" Roy pointed to himself to remind her who she lied to. "Don't you think things through!"

Peach suddenly felt angered herself. Why was he yelling at her? She stood up, standing almost at the same height as Roy. "Did I even really have a choice?" Peach snapped back. "You were making me do it!"

"I was making you lie!" Roy said in disbelief. "Why would I even want you to in the first place?" he retorted.

"Roy Varvel! Don't think I don't know how you really feel about me!" Peach shouted back. Right now, Peach could tell their voices combined were sending echoes into the room and Krystal, Fox, and whoever else was in the hostel could hear them. But her rising anger towards her best friend diminished her care.

"Oh and how do I really feel about you?"

"You may not have been aware of it, but every day I could see you hinting that you liked me. That you wanted much more than this friendship we had!" Peach watched Roy's eyes widened, no words were coming out. Peach knew she was speaking the truth. "I've been able to tell for a long time now."

"That…that isn't true!" Roy lied. He was aware of his lying. But if Peach could lie, he could as well.

"You don't have to lie to me," Peach said a little softer. "It was obvious to me the whole time. Though I shouldn't make such a confident statement, I know for a fact that I'm right."

"I said I never cared about you like that!" Roy said one last time. Every time he said it, the vision of Peach kissing Falcon made his heart ache in pain. He had never felt so hurt. "You don't know what you're talking about! I'm just mad at you for lying to me about where you were going!"

Peach was getting angrier by the second. "If that were the only reason, you would not be overreacting like this! That isn't your style, Roy!" Peach thought for a moment, about the kiss she shared with Falcon not too long ago. She realized the truth. "You saw me kiss him, didn't you?" Peach asked him. Again, she saw Roy stunned by her words. "That's why you're acting like this. Isn't that a good enough reason to prove my point?"

Roy was glaring deeply at Peach and she was doing the same to him. He slowly walked up to Peach, getting close enough to her face. "If that were the case, which I will remind you it isn't, I would no longer like you after this fiasco."

Peach only returned the same look, standing as tall as she could. "Well," she said in soft, evil sounding voice. "That would be just fine with me because I'm feeling the same exact way about you. Before you start getting on me about being honest, why don't you take heed to your own advice?" she said quietly. She stalked off away from Roy, leaving him stunned.

Peach wanted to look back and apologize, feeing guilty for what she said. She had never argued with Roy about anything so serious. But he needed to respect her decisions, right? Peach pondered her own question as she sadly retired to her room.

Roy sat down on the couch. She had pinned him down. _I can't believe she found out about me liking her. Is that the reason why she lied then? To keep me from getting hurt? If that's the case, she completely failed that one. _Roy felt a terrible pain crawl into his stomach. So was this it? Were they through with each other? He could close his eyes and solemnly think about his best friend Peach Toadstool slowly fading away from him.

**Carol's Diner**

"Ah…that was good wasn't it?" Link said with a satisfied smile on his face. "Gotta love the food of Nintendo. Though this place has nothing on my mom's homecooking." He turned to Zelda, who just now finishing up the soup she had ordered. She had eaten her food in absolute silence ever since they had arrived. Link would have urged her to talk, but it seemed she was in deep thought about something.

"I've had better," Zelda muttered. "Like I would've had at Chez La Suite. By the way, how did you get away from that officer anyway?"

"Ah, I have my ways, Zelda. A little maneuvering and switching of streets and you could avoid any police officer goon. It was actually funny, I let him catch up to me, threw a few insults his way, and then I left him in the dust. He had to stop and catch his breath. He didn't stand a chance in catching the Great Link Gaiden. It's all about skills, Princess Zellie."

"Of course I wouldn't expect anything else from you, Gaiden. A criminal has to have such getaway skills after all." Zelda retorted. "And would you just stop calling me that? You're so defiant."

"Ah, just what my mother always said," Link said with a grin. He paused for a moment, his face scrunching up for a bit. Zelda looked at him, seeing his eyes lose their glow for just a second before they lit up again. His once again lively eyes looked at Zelda with the upmost interest. "So anyway, who was that guy you were talking to over at that club? Friend of yours?"

Zelda felt a glare crawl onto her face as she thought about that scum of the Earth. "Not even close. He's Samus' ex-boyfriend. Jean Thomas is his name. I didn't expect him to be more sickening than he already looked. He's the only person who makes you look half decent," Zelda added.

"Well I guess should somewhat feel honored. Ha…he really did have a lot of mousse gel in his hair. I really wonder what Sam saw in him." Link laughed. "Good thing I came in time to get you then, huh?"

"Yeah," Zelda muttered. "I guess…I should thank you for coming back to get me."

"You should," Link replied, eager to hear her say it.

Zelda gritted her teeth. To apologize to such low class would be against her image. But at the same, she wasn't totally heartless or in her case, not at all. "So…um…thank you for being of somewhat a bit of help. I of course would have gotten out of there at any second," she said, feeling she showed enough gratitude.

Link only rolled his eyes. "Close enough." He looked up at the clock reading 9:15pm. "Let's get you back home, ay?" He said as he got up from his seat.

"What? You still have plenty of time left. I thought you said four hours." Zelda reminded him.

"Nah, I think we've had enough fun for one day. Besides, I'm sure you're pretty tired of me after that first incident. So, let's just head back and enjoy that last moment."

"Um…alright," Zelda answered softly.

**

* * *

**It was pretty cold out on the streets. The party goers were now officially out partying and the grocery stores, video stores, and other buildings were closing up to protect themselves from the wild citizens. Zelda and Link walked side by side down the streets, trying to dodge the people passing them on the street.

"Ugh… how do people live in this city? It's like they're scattering insects, pushing up against you. It's sickening." Zelda commented, once getting shoved into a rather large guy. She pushed herself past him and found her way back to Link.

"Are you kidding? This is the life! Much better than living in some small town like I did with my mom. Paradise."

Zelda eyed the blonde male. "You sure talk about your mother a lot."

"Huh?" Link looked down at Zelda. "Oh, that's just because I idolize her. She's done a lot of things for my little bro and me. I couldn't go a day without talking about her."

"Is that so?" The two companions turned onto a less busy street. As Zelda looked around, she noticed it was the street that the restaurant Chez La Suite was on. "I admire my parents as well, but not in your kind of way. I'm proud of how successful they were in making our family rich."

"Well…I can't compare to that, since we weren't the richest family around," Link said. "But somehow, I was content with just that." Zelda watched as it happened again. Link's glow in his eyes faded for just a second and then it was back. He then laughed once more. "Alright. Enough about that. Let's play a get to know you game. What makes you, Zelda Harkinan, you?"

"Why should I tell you anything about me?"

"Part of the bet. Remember? Or do I have to remind you about how I swiped you in DDR yesterday."

"Fine! I get it!" Zelda said, stopping him from retelling her humiliation. She sighed, hanging her head a little. "What do you want to know?" she said in defeated groan.

"For now, let me hear about your family? Your parents and your sister Peach will do just fine. What kind of relationship do you have with your parents? Lyon and Isabella Harkinian right?"

"That's right." Zelda replied. "As you know, my father Lyon Harkinian is a powerful senator. It's been a position that has been alive in the Harkinian Dynasty for generations. As for my mother Isabella Harkinian, she's an accomplished actress. She starred in old dramas and now creates her own romance playwrights to be used by other directors. Her works always sell for millions."

"So in other words, your family lives on success. Your father a senator, mother an actress, you a dancer, and Peach a model."

"No! You're wrong!" Zelda snapped, stopping right in her tracks. She caught Link off guard with the sudden rise in her voice. He looked at her innocently, asking with his eyes what he did wrong. She ignored his glance and continued walking again. "It was Peach's stupid idea to pursue a career in modeling! That wasn't what she was assigned."

"Assigned?" Link echoed.

"Once you become four years old in the Harkinian family, you are immediately launched into your future career right then and there. I was assigned to dancing and Peach was actually supposed to be a professional violinist." Zelda raised an eyebrow, as she saw Link burst into a chorus of snickers. "What? What's so funny?"

"Ha, ha. I'm sorry. But Peach Toadstool? A professional violinist? How can someone as aggressive as her be given the career in becoming a violinist?" He asked still snickering. "I just can't even visualize Peach in a big puffy dress, hair in curls with a bow, and playing the violin delicately.

"Whether you believe me or not, that's what she was doing. That was until she started griping about her stupid dreams of being a model," Zelda scoffed. "She was so immature. I can see why my mother and father told me to stay away from her. I would have been acting as foolish as her."

"Oh. I don't think she's foolish. She's making it out well as a model so far, from what I've been told," Link replied. He then looked at Zelda, with a serious look on his face. "Did it hurt when she left?"

"Huh?" Link's question had caught her off guard. She lost her footing when skidding her boot against the concrete sidewalk a bit. "Of course not! With her gone, it put more attention on me. I was the only one my parents could count on anyway. Peach was nothing but a foolish rebel."

"Really? But then…"

Zelda looked as Link started to pull something out of his pants pocket. She could only gasp as she saw some glistening in his hand. It was a bright gold color with a moon on it, reading "Solara" on it. It was her charm bracelet.

"Why do you keep this on your ankle? Peach told me this was a friendship anklet that links with her own," Link explained.

"Where did you get that?" Zelda said before swiping it out of his hand. She didn't even know that her anklet was off her foot. She simply glared at the blonde male. "Did you steal this while I wasn't looking?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Link held his arms up in defense. "It was nothing like that. After the DDR match, I guess it became loose after my brother shoved you. Then it just fell off out in the street. I was going to return it to you, but I never got to meet up with you."

"Oh…well that better be the reason." Zelda looked at the anklet in her hand. _I would never want to lose this._ She then squeezed the anklet in her hand tightly.

"But you didn't answer my question. Why do you still wear that anklet?" Link asked again.

Zelda glared at him again. "If you think it's because I still consider myself close to Peach, then you're wrong. The reason is, it's a nice piece of jewelry and I wouldn't want to lose it. Besides, I might want to sell it one day."

Link eyed Zelda for a moment. He looked deep into her eyes, trying to tell if she was speaking the truth. He wasn't exactly sure. Maybe she did mean it, but Link couldn't imagine anyone hating their family members. His own brother got on his nerves. But not enough for him to hate Young Link. But not wanting to start any conflict, he decided to bother not to ask.

"I think you've asked enough about my family life. So now it's my turn." The two stopped at an intersection, waiting for the "WALK" to appear. Zelda looked up at Link. "I still don't get why you planned this whole gathering idea. What are you really trying to accomplish here?

"Oh come on, Zelda. It isn't obvious by now?" Link said, slightly insulting Zelda by his remark. "Like I say every time, I want to get to know you. There's something going on in your life and though I'm not sure what it is, I just want you to know its okay to talk to us. We're not trying to stand in the way of your dreams of being a dancer. When I say "we" I don't just mean myself and Impa, but my friends too."

The "DON'T WALK" finally changed to "WALK" and the two walked across the street. While walking across, Link spoke again. "I mean your attitude has made everyone want to stay away from you. I talk to the guys all the time and they always think of you as…"

"As what? Snooty? A Brat? Self-Absorbed?" Zelda bombarded him with a list of names she had been called in the past. "Take your pick. It wouldn't be the first time I was called one of these. I just realize now they're jealous that they can't be me."

"Hardly. In fact, most of them try to steer away from being like you. I guess you can say that's why none of them really approach you. They feel you're too cold at heart, Zelda." Link knew he had insulted her, but what was the point in lying? He had to make his point somehow.

"So I'm a Frozen Ice Queen to them huh? Whatever, I didn't come to Nintendo to make friends anyway. I'm here on a mission to be a Dancing Prodigy. If I have to step on a few faces to get there, so be it."

"Hmm…I always thought it was possible to make friends and dance as well. You wouldn't want to live a life here in Nintendo without making a single friend, would you? Especially when they're practically offering friendship to you on a silver platter," Link added.

"Well I wouldn't be interested in what they're offering," Zelda commented. She then looked to see they were now back on the street of her apartment building. "Though…I do wonder…"

"Hold on a second, Zelda." Link fumbled through his pants pocket and pulled out his cell phone. It was playing some kind of game music. He picked up the phone and placed it to his ear. "Hello? Samus? Yeah, we're on our way back right…" Link suddenly froze in place. "You said what?" He grinned. "Really? Aha!" He laughed, making Zelda curious to know what was going on. "We'll be right there."

He hung up his phone and looked to see Zelda staring at him in confusion. He simply smiled before placing his phone back into his pocket. "Ready to run again?"

**Larson Apartments**

"Here we are," Link said, coming to a halt at Samus' front door. He knocked on it rapidly and waited for a response. He looked back to see Zelda coming up behind him. He thought she would seize the moment and go back to her room. But surprisingly she stopped right beside him, waiting patiently for the front door to open. _Hmm…maybe I am making a change in her._

Link's thoughts were interrupted as the front door opened. Marth Lowell smiled, seeing Link at the doorway. "Come on in." He moved to the side and let Link and Zelda into the apartment. Zelda peered inside, remembering the layout of Samus' apartment. She only looked for a few more seconds before she saw Samus Aran approach them. She had a perky smile on her face, her green eyes lit up. She had just finished taking a sip from the water bottle in her hand. "Hey guys. You have to check this out."

The foursome walked over to the couch and the first thing that caught Link's eyes was the now jubilant Pikachu. He felt a smile curve on his lips. "Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu happily leaped towards Link's arms. Link caught him with grace and Pikachu nuzzled against his chest.

"A boy and his mouse. How cute," Marth said sarcastically, earning a laugh from Samus. Zelda meanwhile just watched in amazement at the bond Link shared with the rat. He didn't mind showing care for anyone. Was this really how Link always was?

"Don't hate, dude," Link said before looking back at Pikachu, holding up high above his head. "How are you doing, boy?"

"You mean girl." Samus corrected him. Making Link look at her in confusion.

"I'm sorry, what? He's a "she?"" Link asked,

"Yeah, he is." Samus only shook her head. "How could you get Pikachu's gender mixed up like that?"

"I thought Pikachu was a boy. He looked like one and well Dr. Frederico said he was one as well."

"Frederico? Isn't that an optometrist?" Marth asked all of a sudden. "My mother has an optometrist by that name."

"No. He's a dentist," Samus replied. "Actually he's a lot things. But veterinarian he is not. One thing you must remember about Nintendo City, Link, there are a lot of quacks around here. I mean how much was the treatment for Pikachu anyway?"

"Well, Frederico took care of him..er…_her _for about $150."

"Yep, he was a fake," Samus and Marth said in unison. Marth placed a hand on Link's shoulder. "Congratulations, Link. You've just been hustled by an identity thief."

"So people fake medical identifications around here? This city seems more lower class by the minute," Zelda said out of the blue.

Link ignored her. "Heh…should have known. That price was way too high. But anyway, how do you guys know Pikachu's a girl anyway?"

The couple headed over to the couch. He looked in awe as he saw a yellow and black striped egg sitting on the couch. It was about as huge as the beige square pillows on the couch. "Holy crap, are you serious? Did Pikachu lay that?"

"Yep," Samus responded as she joined Link on the other side of the couch. The two got onto their knees and looked at the egg, like it was the most exciting discovery since shrinky dinks. Marth joined them as well, while Zelda still stood at a distance.

Link reached out and touched the smooth egg. He could only grin, amazed by this discovery. "So this was what wrong with you the whole time, huh Lil' Pika?" Link teased, scratching the Pokémon on the ears. "So, did you guys see Pikachu lay the egg?"

Samus and Marth looked at each other. "Um…no. We kinda missed it," Samus said with a nervous laugh. She pushed her hair behind her ears.

Link took that moment to look at Samus. He lowered his eyes. "Oh is that it? Fine then." He looked back at the egg. "By the way Samus, you might want to check your house for mosquitoes. Looks like one planted a big bite on your neck."

"Ah…" Samus fiercely blushed as Marth slightly smiled at the red bite on her neck, knowing exactly what it was.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"Hey what's…oh!" Link exclaimed. The black and yellow striped egg was now slowly moving. "Hey! I think it's going to hatch!"

It only took a second or two before Samus and Marth were back down on the ground with Link, to get front row seats to the beauty of birth. Zelda who had been watching quietly, decided to venture over to the trio on the other side of the couch. She stood beside them and saw the egg start to crack open.

"Oh wow, it's really opening," Samus replied. "I've seen the births on TV. But never in real life."

Zelda leaned over a bit more to get a closer look. She heard Link and Marth say "I see an ear." The egg started to crack a little faster and then all of a sudden the top of the egg cracked open like a lid to a pickle jar. When it fell off, they thought they were looking at another Pikachu. But there were some large differences.

Zelda saw two very large ears and an even larger head pop out of the egg. The figure had cheeks like Pikachu's but they were a bright pink. The small animal started to twitch and all of a sudden the egg started to topple.

"Oh watch out." Link moved back a little, as the egg suddenly tumbled from the couch and rolled right passed him to Zelda. Zelda backed up a little, but the egg stopped right at her feet and cracked all the way off the Pokémon's body. It had a short, yet pudgy body, with four little paws and a rigid and short black tail. The little Pokémon shook its head once and made a cry. Then slowly, it opened it large blackish brown eyes and looked up at Zelda.

"Pi?" It said in a confused manner.

"Uh…" Zelda was trying to figure out why the rat was just staring at her.

"Oh man." The stare was broken as Link picked up the Pokémon. "Oopsy daisy! That's one way to begin life. Hopefully the Lil' guy didn't fall on it's head, " he said with a chuckle.

The little Pokémon smiled sweetly at Link. "Pichu!"

"Aww…so cute," Samus said, before stroking the little Pokémon on the head. I've heard about these Pokémon. The younger state of a Pikachu. My friends told me that Pikachu's first stage was very cute."

"Yeah and apparently they have a bigger head." Marth joked. He placed a finger out in front of the tiny mouse. The mouse looked at it, trying to decipher what it was. It placed its two paws around it and started chewing it. Marth winced a little. "Heh…ow…with a strong bite."

"So, I guess we should call you Pichu then? How do you like that?" Link said, staring at Pichu with a twinkle in his eyes.

Pichu waved its little paws. "Pichu pi!" Then it squirmed out of Link's arms and onto the floor. Pikachu greeted Pichu on the floor. They started talking in their native tongue and in a matter of seconds; Pichu had identified Pikachu as its mother. Pichu started to snuggle against Pikachu, chirping with affection.

"Really cute." Samus said again. "So I wonder if this one is a boy or a girl. I have a number for a real vet in my room."

"Yeah, I won't let Pichu live a gender identity crisis like Pikachu did." Link laughed along with the others. Their laughter was interrupted by the sound of the clearing of Zelda's throat.

"As fun as this has been, I think I'm going to head back to my room," Zelda said carelessly, before walking in the direction of the door. Pichu immediately stopped snuggling against its mother and observed Zelda heading towards the door. The mouse stood up and seemed to be a little curious to see where the dancer was going. It started to make an attempt to go after her, but was swiftly picked up by Link.

"Hold on Zelda, I'll walk you back. Remember, my responsibility?" Link called after her. Unknowing to Link, Pichu was stretching its little paws in the direction of Zelda. Zelda didn't stop for a second. She only muttered "Whatever" under her breath before proceeding out the door. Link sighed and placed Pichu in Marth's arms, seeing he was the closest. "I'll be right back after I send my good-bye's to her."

"Alright." Marth replied. "How did it go anyway?" He asked, while making his arms more comfortable for holding Pichu. "She didn't put up too much of a fight did she?"

Link's blue eyes, stared up at the ceiling. "You know, she really didn't. I learned a lot about Miss Zelda Harkinian this evening. I guess we really just misunderstood her." He then hurried to run out the door after Zelda.

"Really?" Samus curiously asked. "Care to share what you've learned with the class?"

"I'll tell you when I get back. But let's just say she's more down to Earth than we thought. We just have to keep pushing her." With those last words, Link ran out door. Samus and Marth just stared after him, trying to comprehend what he meant.

**

* * *

**"You trying to get rid of me that quickly?"

Zelda's hand was right on her door knob, when Link had spoken. She knew she should have left without a word. She only turned back around and watched as Link Gaiden casually walked up to her. He was still smiling his casual "I love my life" smile.

"I thought I would give it a try. But I guess pesky flies always return back to their first victim for more."

"Oh come on, Zelda. You can't play that game with me anymore. You've already exposed yourself."

"Huh? What game?" Zelda asked.

"This "I hate Gaiden" game. We've spent this whole evening together and you know I've really opened your eyes. I'm not that big of a jerk as you thought I was, am I?"

"Well of…" The last few words didn't make it out Zelda's mouth as she stared at Link. There they were again. Those unique eyes staring her down, making her frozen heart melt. Whenever she looked into his eyes, she just couldn't find anything wrong to say about him. It was like someone was flashing a bright light on her, demanding the truth. She sighed. "Okay, maybe you have a redeemed yourself a little."

"Just a little?" Zelda nodded. She was content with her answer. "Well, it's somewhat of a start. I'm glad I'm starting to wear you down." Link chorused, in a teasing tone. "You cannot resist my charm forever, Zelda."

"Hey! Don't get overconfident," Zelda commented, pointing a finger in his face. "You may have been alright for tonight. But who knows what I'll think the next day? I can drop my comment in a second."

Link crossed his arms over his chest. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. But don't worry, it's only a matter of time." He gave Zelda a thumbs-up. "I plan on making you accepting me as more than an annoyance. Someone who wants to be so much more than that."

"Something more?" Zelda started to remember Impa's words from earlier on this evening. She had told her Link wanted Zelda to accept her as something. But what exactly was it? She had to know. "I don't understand. What do you want me to see you as, Gaiden?"

He sighed. He leaned his back against the wall of the apartment building. "Can I tell you something?" He watched Zelda hesitate for a moment, before he started his confession. "Right after the host at the restaurant found out we had snuck in, I was worried."

Zelda rolled her eyes at his ridiculous comment. "You didn't have to tell me that one, genius. Of course you were worried. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who didn't want to go jail."

"No. That's not it." Link corrected her. "I wouldn't have cared if I was caught. All I was only worried that you would get caught." Link confessed, making Zelda's eyebrows rise for a second. "I mean after all, I did drag you into this mess. I would've felt terrible if something were to happen to you. Then after we split up, I was determined to get back to you because I didn't like the idea of leaving you alone. I know how pushy and assertive the people of Nintendo can be. So once I ditched the guy, I hurried to try and find you."

Zelda's cold eyes started to show emotion in them. She could see Link was speaking the truth by his facial expression. Zelda had to admit that she didn't like the idea of Link leaving her alone like that either. But was he really that concerned about her?

"Then…" He continued. "When I found you with that guy, I could see the scared look on your face. Or whatever you prefer to call it. Either way, I knew it was my fault that the guy received the chance to take advantage of you. I was just glad I was able to get him away from you. I may have looked like I was playing it cool, but I was really feeling guilty."

Link finally looked up at Zelda once he finished his confession. "I'm guessing you don't understand why I'm saying this. What I'm trying to say is that if you can't see me as your friend, I want you to at least see me as your protector."

"Protector?" Zelda repeated. "You want me to see you as a protector?"

Link chuckled. "I know, sounds a little cheesy. A wannabee hero wanting to protect a princess kind of fairytale. But either way, I'm not saying you have to like me as a friend or anything. Hate me all you like. But I'm hoping you'll recognize that I'm going to always strive to be your protector from all harm. It's a duty I want to stand by."

His speech left Zelda speechless. This lower class…no…this guy, wanted to be her protector. Zelda thought about laughing at his thoughts, but no chuckles were coming out. But maybe it was true. He did try to get her out of harm's way twice. She felt a funny feeling in her stomach as she remembered the incident back at the nightclub. Link protecting her in his arms. She had never heard such words from a man nor anyone else. It was well…astounding.

"I just don't understand," Zelda said. She wasn't aware of how soft her voice was sounding. It sounded like someone who was concerned with what he had to say. "Gaiden, you know I really despise you. You're annoying and immature. You make me just want to pull my hair out. You know that all your friends really feel like they can't approach me. Like I said, I don't really care. Why you would you still want to protect someone like me?"

Link looked at her for just a moment, before smiling warmly at the dancer. "Zelda Harkinian, I can sum it up to you in four words."

Without another word, he stood up getting closer to Zelda. He moved his finger with a quick motion, pushing one Zelda's braided bangs behind her ears. He then kneeled down, his lips at her right ear. Zelda was a little stunned by what he was doing, but stood completely still. He then whispered into her ear. "My Smile Is Yours."

He then moved away from her ear and stood back. He only smiled innocently. "It's that simple."

"My Smile Is Yours? What does that mean?" Zelda asked him. She was already baffled and she didn't need any more complications.

"Heh…I'll tell you one day. Maybe when you're old enough, Zellie!" He joked. The serious Link was now gone and Zelda was now dealing with the goofy Link Gaiden.

She lowered eyes, ready to strangle the poor guy. She was starting to wonder if Link loved starting these little confrontations with her. "Gaiden, I think I've had enough of you for one night! Could you take your leave now?"

"As you wish, Princess Zellie," Link said with a laugh. Making Zelda growl in anger. "I just love that nickname."

Zelda opened her front door. "Good night, Gaiden." She said half-heartedly. She started to walk in the door when she heard Link approaching her again. She turned, hands placed on her hips. "Do you know what "Good Night" means or do I have to spell it out for you?"

"I do! But come on. Don't I get something?" Link asked. "You know. Like some kind of reward for taking you out on such a fun evening? A handshake? A hug? Good-night kiss?" He joked.

"…" Zelda stared at him for a moment before a smirk formed on her lips. "Alright. I have a reward for you. Shut your eyes please."

Link shut his eyes obediently. "Okay now what?"

SLAM!

Link opened his eyes to see Zelda was now gone and he was now staring at the front door. He should've known she was going to pull a stunt like this. "You got me, Zelda. But don't think this is the last time you're going to see me!" Zelda didn't respond, but Link was already satisfied without the reply. He strolled back down the hallway, feeling content with his lovely evening with Miss Zelda Harkinian.

Zelda stared out her peek hole. She watched Link head back in the direction to Samus' room. She felt herself laugh and for the first time, a real smile appeared on her face. _Link Gaiden. Such an interesting little fool._

**End of Chapter**

* * *

_**A/N: **__So what did you think? Did you survive the 27 page chaos! Whoo! Kudos to you! Anywho! I hope it was a really good read and I'm really sorry about how long it is you guys. I'm working on it. But yes, a lot happened this chapter. Let's see, there an interesting memoir, from a mysterious writer. Hmm...who was that? Then ooh la la! Finally some Krystal/Fox fluff! Aww..I love doing that scene. You see I used Titanic. I don't know, it's just something about that movie. Wow, that RoyxPeachxFalcon triangle has seemed to have tilted in the PeachxFalcon angle! Wowzers. Is this the end of Roy and Peach's friendship. And wow, Zelda and Link got to know each other a bit more huh? That's somewhat of a plus! Maybe we'll start seeing a bit more to Miss Zelda as the two continue to get themselves into fun situations. Plus there was a little fluff for them! Wow, their first fluff! Cool! And…yes I did add Pichu, like SOMEBODY kept insisting over and over again and I'm going to say her name anyway because she knows I love her!_

_That girl is __**Crystalicios**__! She announced what direction I was heading in a long time ago and in my mind I was like this: "Dangit Crys! Darn! Darn! Darn! You're not supposed to figure it out!" But I made it pretty obvious because everyone else figured that after a while as well! Well, Pichu's going to play an interesting role in a certain somebody's life, but that shouldn't be too hard to figure out. And it'll be obvious next chapter._

_Anyway! This is way too long of an author's note. Please review and I will try to update as soon as I can._

**Royal Kenya**


	19. Chapter Eighteen

_Hi everyone. I'm sorry about the late update. I was in school and it was near finals, so they needed my absolute focus. On another note, I'm on Spring Break now and I finally got to play Brawl and I love it. Plus I'm hoping to work a little more on writing MSIY. Thanks for your reviews and thanks for the people who faved. I'd thank you personally, but I never get reviews from the ghost readers. Anyway all in all, I'm glad the fic is liked. Also, I'm quite proud to say that my page number has decreased this chapter! W00T! My next goal is under 20 pages. I was a tad off._

_Anywho, here's the next chapter. If you find any mistakes please feel free to tell. Might be a bunch because I was somewhat devastated about something or other while editing. Also, this site tends to merge words for some odd reason. But it's really not an excuse, since I'm an Error Queen after all. _

_**Enjoy!** _

* * *

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

The rays from the bright sun woke Zelda from her peaceful slumber. She groaned a bit as she rolled in her bed. The morning sunlight was never her friend. Luckily it was Saturday, giving her the right to sleep in for a few more hours. She lifted her heavy eyelids open to check the clock. It was already past 9am.

Her head hit her pillow and she clutched onto her old stuffed rabbit Lily close to her face. A faint smell hit her nose, making her sniff the air. She could smell food cooking in the kitchen, put together by her nursemaid, Impa.

Being drawn to the smell of good food, Zelda couldn't help but head to the door. She opened it slightly and headed down the hallway to the den. She saw Impa sitting down, drinking tea. Impa greeted her with a smile, as she entered the room with a yawn. "Good morning, Miss Zelda. I take it you slept well."

"One of the best sleeps you can have on a Saturday morning." Zelda smiled and sat down in the chair across from Impa. She looked at the spread before her. There was a plate full of bacon and sausages with a large helping of scramble eggs placed beside it. In the center of the table was a large stack of French toast, Zelda's favorite. Finally, Zelda realized Impa had made some blueberry muffins. "Blueberry muffins? You never make those unless…" She eyed Impa.

"Peach was here earlier on this morning," Impa clarified for her. She felt Zelda's eyes burn into her in shock. "Don't give me that look. Peach is your sister and we haven't had time to really catch up since last time. She called me earlier this morning sounding a little...well, devastated about something," Impa explained.

"What's that? She finally realizes she won't have long till she's out on the streets living in an old computer box?" Zelda scoffed as she served herself some eggs.

Impa only frowned. "Zelda, please. It was actually something else concerning one of her friends. Then we talked about something concerning you."

"Oh really?" Zelda had stopped serving eggs to listen to Impa. "What is it?"

Impa spoke softly, "I received a phone call from your father and he's working on his campaign to remain senator in Joypadana. The race will begin sometime in November and it's going to take a lot of time to prepare for it. He can't be distracted by anything less worthwhile."

"Good for Daddy. He's always a hard worker. Nothing's wrong with that." She was twirling a fork in her hand with very little interest in Impa's announcement.

Impa sighed and closed her eyes. "However, he's going to have a lot of paper work that will need to be tended to and phone calls about the campaign that will have to be taken. He has his secretary but he's going to need a lot more help. So I agreed to return to Joypadana to help him with business."

**Clang!**

Zelda's fingers stopped maneuvering the fork in her hand; it banged against the plate before her loudly. She received a curious look from Impa, but she was far from paying attention to her. "You're leaving to go back to Joypadana now? Did he want me to come back as well?"

Impa shook her head. "He wants you to stay here and continue your studies in dance. I'll be leaving in two weeks." She sighed heavily, looking at Zelda. She had her eyes locked on her, looking as if she had lost her best friend.

"I see…" Zelda said softly. She then started to chuckle. "It's about time. You did say you were only staying until I was settled. I've been here for months and yet you're still here."

"Right, I did." Zelda wasn't fooling Impa. She knew Zelda really was concerned about this and Impa felt the same. "But I just felt you weren't ready yet. Though it seems you've been maturing lately with your social life," Impa smirked at the heiress. "I've observed that you're slowly becoming friends with Mr. Link Gaiden."

After a quick roll of the eyes, Zelda replayed last night in her head. She had told Impa about Link's illegal access into a restaurant and Impa wasn't too upset about it. And she even told her about the birth of the yellow rodent whose name had escaped her at the moment.

She failed to mention what had happened when she was out on her own. When she was walking out on the streets alone and was in danger when Jean Thompson had harassed her. She felt a lump in her stomach as she remembered how Link had saved her from him. To have Link protectively hold her and keep her safe.

"I can see I stepped over the line with that comment. But I feel like you'll make some friends soon though. I even asked Peach when she was here earlier if she wouldn't mind checking on you every now and then."

Zelda snapped out of her thoughts. "You're kidding me, right? I'm nineteen years old. I don't need any babysitters arriving here at every hour checking on me. Secondly, to ask _Peach_ to even come here and watch me is just a total insult," she stated.

"Understand this, Miss Zelda," Impa said in the same exact tone, not afraid to show her intensity. "Like it or not, protecting you is a 24-hour job for me. To ensure your protection in my absence, I have to get someone I can trust. As much as you despise Peach and she despises you, I can count on her to take this job seriously."

Zelda was still skeptical. "What did she say to the idea?"

"After a moment of opposing the idea, she agreed," Impa answered. "And I told her she didn't have to come and see you everyday. Just pop in, you tell her your condition, and then she can leave. Will that be alright with you?

"Hmph, fine. I still say you could have found someone better," Zelda replied. She picked up the fork she dropped and dug into the scrambled eggs she had put on her plate.

Impa sighed before picking up one of the blueberry muffins and putting it on her plate. She knew she could trust Peach to make sure nothing would happen to her sister. But at the same time, she was wondering if she was going to make things worse for the two sisters. It was like something drastic would have to happen in order for the sisters to declare a truce.

"Anyway, you look like you're dressed to go to do some business." Zelda was now glancing at the nice gray business suit Impa was wearing. Under the suit she was wearing a magenta collared top. "Does Daddy want you to work on his campaign?"

"Yes, I'm meeting with another one of his clients this morning. Unfortunately, I have to attend his all day garden party for his support." Impa stood up from her seat, picking up the blueberry muffin. "I should be leaving now so I'm not late. What do you have planned for today, Zelda?"

"Same thing as usual, Impa. Homework and dance. It's a full time job you know?" Zelda answered with a mouth full of eggs. She closed her mouth, trying to maintain her etiquette. She watched Impa pick up her black purse and large black briefcase. "Can you bring some of my favorite cran-raspberry juice from the store?"

"Oh…juice!" Impa suddenly exclaimed. She turned her gaze up towards the refrigerator. Zelda looked as well to see a rather large glass punch bowl sitting on top of it. Inside the bowl was blue colored concoction that Zelda guessed was punch. "Miss Zelda, this juice on top of the fridge actually needs to go outside for a while to get some sunlight. It'll give the punch the perfect flavor. After an hour or two, can you bring it right back inside?"

Zelda shrugged. "Can't be too hard of a job. What's it for anyway?"

"Another client party right after this one. Your father keeps me busy around the clock." Impa smiled down at the young woman. "It'll really be a big help. Oh…" Impa looked at the black rimmed clock hanging on one of the cabinet walls. "I need to leave now. Just put your dishes in the sink when you're done eating and I'll take care of them when I get back."

"You do too much, Impa. I can handle putting some dishes in the dishwasher," Zelda reassured her. Seeing it was a dishwasher, she felt she could do something to show gratitude for Impa's meal. "All the dishes will be washed and dried." She stood up and walked Impa to the front door.

Impa chuckled. "I'd love to see that." As she opened the door, she stopped chuckling once she saw a familiar face outside. "Oh…what do we have here?"

"Hmm?" Zelda looked past her tall nursemaid to see two other bodies standing a far distance away from their front door. The two seemed to look like twins with their blonde hair and green eyes.

"Oh Lydia!" Impa called with a smile.

When the two women looked up, Zelda noticed right away it was Samus and her mother. Mrs. Aran's youthful face made her look just like Samus. She was dressed in khaki pants and a dark brown coat. Samus was dressed in blue jeans and a baby blue sweatshirt that said, "Varsity" across the front in navy blue letters. When Samus met eyes with Zelda, the expression on her face seemed to drop a bit.

"Hmm? Oh good morning, Impa!" Mrs. Aran called from where she was standing. Without hesitation she started to walk down the hallway towards their apartment and Impa met her part way. "Heading out early I see?"

"Business meeting. I'm going to be late if I don't hurry up soon. How about yourself?"

"I should have left a long time ago. But…" She rolled her eyes over at Samus. Her daughter only returned the same gesture. "My daughter won't take responsibility. She's supposed to be taking care of her little friend's pet, but she insists on going out to see her boyfriend."

"Mom. If I don't see Marth today, I'm not going to see him till next weekend. You know how Dad keeps me busy." Samus crossed her arms. "Besides, I'm going to see Falcon too at the race tracks. He wanted me there to support his race."

Mrs. Aran lowered her eyes. "And you've cared for your brother's races since when now? Remind me," she retorted sarcastically.

"I've always cared for my brother's races. I just show it in a uniqueway," Samus explained. "Why are you trying to punish me?"

Impa laughed as the two family members went back and forth with retorts. She looked back at Zelda, who was just looking appalled by their bickering. A sudden idea hit Impa and she cleared her throat, getting the other three companions' attention. "Lydia, you shouldn't stop Samus from seeing her boyfriend. There are only so many moments two lovers can have with each other."

"Exactly," Samus said with a nod, getting her mother irritated. But then her satisfaction faded when Impa turned the tables on her.

"However Miss Samus, you must also take responsibilities for the tasks you take on. If you wish not to take care of the little one and go out for a moment, you should hire a babysitter to take care of Pichu for you," Impa added. She then smirked and looked back at Zelda. "Luckily, I might have someone who can volunteer for you."

"Wha…what?" Zelda backed up as Impa's and the two Aran's eyes fell on her. She stammered, " You…you can't possibly mean…me? Me…take care of that…that..ra…"

"That Pokémon you mean?" Impa prevented her from saying rat. "You said you do nothing else but homework and dance all the time. You can change up your schedule a bit by babysitting Pichu."

"Oh…Impa," Lydia protested. "We wouldn't want to impose."

"Yes, I don't think they want to either," Zelda piped in.

"I'm not sure if we should. Link did want me to take care of Pichu after all." On the contrary, Samus thought it was a good plan. But she didn't think it would be such a good idea to leave Pichu in the hands of Zelda Harkinian. Who knew what kind of caretaker she was. "I can just stay and…"

"No, I insist you let us take Pichu off your hands. I promise you that Zelda will be a great guardian to the little one. She's had some experience. She was a wonderful caretaker to her kitten back in Joypadana," Impa explained. "Pichu couldn't be in better hands.

Mrs. Aran looked at her skeptical daughter. "Alright. Samus you can go to the tracks, if you let Zelda take care of Pichu while you're out. How's that sound, babe?"

Zelda's blue eyes, met with Samus' green eyes. She felt herself pleading to Samus with her stare. _Think about it Samus. If you have a heart, you'll say the correct answer. You'll tell your mother…_

Samus sighed. "Fine. I think we can leave Pichu with Zelda." She slightly smiled before turning around and walking back to her home. "I'll go get Pichu."

_Wrong answer, Aran. Great, now I've got to spend my Saturday with a yellow rodent. _Zelda looked up at Impa, hoping she would reconsider this idea. But Impa smiled as if saying, "It'll be fun Miss Zelda." But Zelda knew this would only be troublesome in more ways than one.

Samus had come back out of the room with Pichu in her arms. The pokémon was gazing around the room, looking at its new surroundings. Its large eyes then fell on the people standing around it. Once it placed its eyes on Zelda, Pichu's face just seemed to light up. Samus looked down at the now energetic Pichu. "Oh wow. She's really perked up."

"I see, a girl?" Impa commented. She kneeled down next to Zelda's ear. "You girls could do some female bonding," she joked.

"Hardy, har, har, Impa," Zelda muttered. She felt a disgusted look come to her face, as Samus brought the young pokémon over to her. She took a teeny step back as Pichu reached out for her with her paws.

"Eck," Zelda uttered as she shut her eyes and took the pokémon into her hands. She was careful to keep the mouse a distance from her. "I can't believe this."

"We'll gladly pay you," Lydia Aran offered.

"Oh nonsense. Zelda's already rich enough," Impa replied, getting a laugh from Samus' mother. Samus on the other hand, was now looking on Pichu who was happily squirming in Zelda's hands. It was like she was trying to get Zelda to hug her, but Zelda wasn't biting.

"If you say so," Lydia Aran said softly. She looked down at her gold wristwatch. "If I wait any longer, your father is going to throw a fit. Thanks again, Zelda. If anything goes wrong, please don't hesitate to call my cell or Samus'."

"Their numbers are on the phone tree on the fridge. I'll walk out with you two," Impa added, speaking to Samus and her mother. Impa brushed past Zelda in a hurry, her purse banging against her hip. "I'll be back later, Miss Zelda. Please keep Pichu preoccupied until I can get back and help."

"But…" Zelda started. "Are there any rules in taking care of this thing?" She asked, holding Pichu with little care.

"Nothing you really need to know. She basically takes care of herself!" Samus called, before following her mother and Impa towards the elevator. Samus looked back at Pichu, still thinking she had made a wrong decision. But she would find out the answer to that later.

"Wait, I…" Zelda's words were cut off as the trio disappeared in the elevator. She heard the elevator ding as it opened and then it shut rapidly behind them. Once she admitted to herself that they were gone, she looked back down at Pichu. "What are these people doing to me?"

"Pi!" Pichu chirped happily. Zelda only rolled her eyes as she walked back to her own home. From the sound of that perky chirp, Zelda knew this was going to be one interesting Saturday.

**Gamegeara Hospital**

"Where's Roy? We want to play!"

"Yeah where's Roy? We want him to tell us a story!"

"No. We want him to play jump rope with us!"

"Not jump rope! He's going to help me beat my MegaDude V today!"

"We want Roy!"

Peach Toadstool sighed as she looked over at the group of kids sitting in the hospital's playground. They were all looking around, waiting for a miracle. That Roy Varvel would somehow come crashing down to the Earth and bring smiles to the kids' faces.

She turned away from the ranting children and brushed off her Gamegeara uniform. She was dressed in a white polo shirt with two maroon vertical stripes on the sides of the shirt with jeans. There was a logo on the shirt saying, "Gamegeara Hospital." Her hair was pulled back in a maroon scrunchy.

"My, my, my. Where is that darling boy?" Peach looked down at the elder woman Ms. Rose. She seemed to look just as upset as the children. "Peach dear, do you know where Roy might be today?"

"I didn't see him this morning. I would be surprised if that lazy boy was sleeping in," Peach responded. The word "sleep" made her wish she would've had more hours to sleep last night. She didn't have such a pleasant slumber, being still devastated about her argument with her best friend.

_How did it even happen? He just started snapping at me for what I did. Then I just lost it. We were yelling back and forth at each other and then I just left. _Peach thought to herself as she looked over towards the entrance to the Gamegeara Hospital. The sliding glass door was still closed. Roy wasn't coming out anytime soon.

"Well, he's leaving the poor dears upset. I can't stand to look at their disappointed darling faces," Ms. Rose said softly. She sighed before closing her eyes. "Are you sure everything is alright, Peach?"

"Mm-hmm." Peach answered and left it at that. Her eyes were focused on the door. Ms. Rose looked at Peach suspiciously before glancing in the same direction as her. She could see the heads of other Gamegeara employees, but none of them belonged to Roy. _I know you're mad at me, Roy. But you wouldn't let these kids suffer would you?_

"Miss Peach?" a soft voice called.

Peach turned to see a young girl, about the age of seven, looking up at her. "Hello, Zoe."

Zoe had brown hair braided into two braids and bright blue eyes concealed behind glasses. She leaned forward in the wheelchair. "Is Mr. Roy coming today?"

"Um…" Peach looked at the sweet girl. It didn't take long until all the other kids started to crowd around Zoe's wheelchair. They slowly all started to murmur the same question.

Peach closed her eyes and then reopened them. They were still there. There were about seven or so kids with illnesses or disabilities staring at her with their innocent eyes. They were all wishing for the same thing. They wanted Roy Varvel to walk into this playground to bring joy to their childish faces. But Peach had to face the fact that Roy wasn't here. She, being the only one who usually kept up with Roy's whereabouts had to tell these kids that their King of Fun wouldn't be coming in today.

"I'm sorry, children," Peach answered slowly. "But Roy…"

"Oh children!" Peach turned to see the head of the children's hospital, Genevieve Daniels come over to where they were standing. Her bouncy dark gray hair was placed in a bun and she was wearing the official Gamegeara uniform. Peach noticed she was carrying a huge black and gold trunk behind her over to the children. She dragged it right in between Rose and Peach and the kids. "You got a large package!" she said in a perky voice. "I wonder who it's from. You want to open it?"

"YEAH!" the kids squealed as they quickly surrounded the case. One of the younger boys, that Peach remembered as Charlie, was in front of the lock of the trunk. Peach felt herself being just as curious as the children to see what could possibly be in there.

Charlie opened the case and all the children were in awe as a bunch of rainbow colored balloons came out of the box. Then slowly popped out a guy with a painted white face, blue top hat, and a blue goofy suit with a large red bow tie on. Peach's jaw dropped, when she saw who the person was. The familiar red hair coming out of the hat, gave the identity away. "I don't believe it…it's…"

"ROY!" the kids screamed while pointing at his red hair. They started to laugh and cheer, as their favorite entertainer slowly came out of the trunk. Roy laughed a goofy laugh, way out of character. Peach then noticed the big red nose, green triangles painted under his eyes, and the large amount of red paint on his mouth, enlarging his smile. It was then Peach realized he was portraying a clown. "HEY BOYS AND GIRLS! READY TO HAVE SOME FUN!"

"Yeah!"

Roy cupped a hand to his ear. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU! I SAID ARE YOU READY TO HAVE SOME FUN!"

"YEAH!!" The boys and girls screamed louder.

Roy only grinned before going back into the chest, bringing out some props. Peach looked in astonishment as Roy pulled out colorful balloon animals. "THEN LET'S HAVE A BLAST TODAY!" He laughed as he started to toss the balloon animals out to the excited children.

"YAY! ROY RULES!" the kids screamed.

Peach watched as Ms. Rose and Ms. Daniels laughed as well. Ms. Daniels smiled as she turned to Peach, making her turn to face her boss. "Roy is such a dear. He's wanted to do this for months and it's just so sweet of him to come up with such a fabulous idea."

Peach nodded. "Mm-hmm. Roy is really a cornball with these crazy ideas of his," Peach admitted. She looked over at her friend Roy who now giving Zoe a balloon animal. She giggled and then reached out and hugged Roy. She smiled. "But that's what makes him such an amazing friend."

* * *

Roy sighed as he dipped his hands into the cold sink water again. He scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on his face._ Man, it pays big time to bring smiles to kids' faces. But it's all worth it. _He rubbed his hands against his face, attempting to get the last of the paint off his face. He looked in the mirror and smiled once he saw all the paint was gone.

"You missed a spot." Roy glanced at the mirror and saw Peach's reflection staring back at him. She placed her pink nail polished finger on the side of her right cheek. "Right about there."

Roy glanced at the spot Peach was pointing and spotted the white line of paint still there. He hesitantly laughed. "Heh…whoops. The spot got away from my sight." He wiped his cheek clean. He saw Peach give him a small thumbs-up with an equally small smile.

He returned it before moving away from the mirror. He thought about leaving, but was interrupted by Peach clearing her throat. "You know, I thought that was really nice thing you did for the kids. They were really going to start a riot if you didn't show up today."

"You think I would miss spreading smiles on these kids' faces? Nothing can tear me away from that," Roy commented before sitting down on one of the nearby benches in the locker room.

Peach insecurely wrapped her arms around her. It felt like Roy was such a stranger to her. She couldn't take this silent relationship anymore. "Roy,"

"I'm sorry," Roy confessed.

"Huh?" Peach's eyes widened. "How can you be sorry? It's all my fault that we had that argument."

"Come on, Peach. I was the one who lashed out first. If anything, I instigated you into arguing with me. Right after you left, I started to play back everything I said to you." Roy sadly hung his head. "I shouldn't have talked down to you as if you were some kind of idiot. It's the last thing I think you are, Peach. Believe me."

Peach smiled warmly. "I believe you whole-heartedly." The glow in her eyes faded as she felt the guilt in her heart start to grow. "I really wanted to tell you all about the date. But I didn't want to hurt your feelings. " Her voice grew soft. "I never thought we'd have an argument."

"I couldn't understand your reasoning because I was just mad that you lied to me. But you were trying to preserve our friendship and I can take that," Roy admitted. He shoved his hands into his pockets. Peach had taken that time to notice he was dressed in the Gamegeara uniform like her. His respected dog tags were hanging around his neck. "I think I was just mad about Falcon. When he kissed you, I was furious cuz I knew what kind of person he was and well…" Roy's voice faded.

Peach's eyebrows rose. "Hmm? Well what?" she said, curious to hear the end of Roy's sentence.

Roy looked at Peach and just gazed at how beautiful she was. He smiled, he couldn't bear it anymore. He walked up to his friend, stopping only a few inches away from her. "You were right about something else, Peach. I really did want something more than our friendship. I really do like you. More than you'll ever realize."

Peach's eyes widened as her cheeks turned pink. "Oh Roy," she said softly. _What am I supposed to say after a statement like that? In the movies, the woman would take this opportunity to tell her lover how much she loved him too. But, this isn't the same. I still don't feel the same, Roy._

Roy chuckled as he looked at the dumbfounded Peach. "Why look so shocked? You're the one who announced my crush on you. Remember?"

"Um…right," Peach finally answered. "It's just weird to hear it from the horse's mouth is all," she phrased for him.

"I suppose. But what's it matter anyway?" Roy started before turning and walking back. "You've made your choice already. Falcon seems to be special to you."

"It would seem so." Peach shivered, feeling the chilly air of the locker room. "But I don't want to keep dating him if it's going to…"

"Trust me. It's not going to ruin our friendship. I've worked way too hard earning that. I'm not about let some man in your life take it away from me." Roy walked back over to Peach once again. "Sure, Falcon beat me to it. But I guess I'll just be the guy who admires his best friend from afar," he answered.

"I just can't believe you, Roy." Peach shut her eyes for a moment, a content smile on her face. "You're just such an amazing friend. I really just want to hug you right now."

Roy only opened his arms as Peach entered them and then hugged her tightly. "Just remember, Peach. If anything goes wrong with that guy, don't hesitate to tell me. I never want any harm to come to you, alright?"

"Okay. But I'm still very sorry for arguing with you," Peach apologized softly.

"Shut-up and stop trying to be the cause of everything. I already told you it wasn't your fault," Roy told her.

Peach nodded against his shoulder. Hugging Roy was such a wonderful feeling to her. But a loving feeling? Never. "You know," She got out of Roy's embrace. "Falcon really is a great guy and I want you to really get to know him."

Roy's blue eyes blinked in denial. "Come again?"

"Falcon has a race today and he invited me to come watch him. Come with me to the race tracks today so you two can bond."

"Peach…" Roy started. He paused short for a moment. _If I don't go, she's going to think I'm not okay with her going out with the idiot. Well I'm not. But if Peach is happy with this guy, I gotta support her all the way. Her happiness is the only reason I'll do it. _He sighed as he came to his decision. "Alright I'll go. But I'm only doing it for you."

Peach grinned. "Thanks. Trust me. You'll be able to understand how great of a guy he is."

**Zelda's Apartment**

"In 1688…the war was…um…" Zelda tapped her pink mechanical pencil against her forehead. She knew the answer to this question. "Was it the "Thirty Years" or "Hundred Years" War?" Her only response was a "swoop" noise. She rolled her eyes before looking over at Pichu sitting on the couch, completely hypnotized by the cartoons on the TV.

"All you children are the same. Click on some mind-sucking cartoons and you become total brain-dead zombies." Zelda looked back at her homework. Zelda knew this was her second year of college. But the work load was just so ridiculous compared to high school. How was she supposed to keep up with all these dates in history?

Suddenly, she snapped her fingers. "Ah! 1688…Nine…Years…War…hint…Glor-ri-ous-Rev-vo-lu-tion." She broke the words apart as she wrote them down in her notebook. "Louis XIV is involved in way too many wars. I wouldn't think someone who loves to dance ballet would want to do such a thing."

"Chu!" Zelda looked at the pokémon rolling with laughter. "Tell me this little rodent," Zelda asked before closing her notebook. She was dressed in a comfortable pair of sweats and a green skintight work-out top. "Why am I spending my Saturday baby-sitting you when I could be doing other things?" The pokémon didn't answer her question.

Zelda looked out the window and noticed she had forgotten to bring Impa's punch back inside. She walked over to outside balcony, thinking about what activities she had in store for the day. _Impa is right. I really do have the same routine every day. Dance and do homework. But it's not like anything's changed since I lived in Joypadana._

Once outside, Zelda picked up the punch and slowly brought it back inside. She was careful to make sure the bowl was jiggling around._ It was the same schedule. But it's what got me where I am today. Change is good. But to change my life around to babysit a rat? Couldn't something more interesting happen?_

Zelda stopped in front of the refrigerator. The top was a little above her head, so she grabbed the black stool next to the fridge and climbed it with the punch in her hands. With a small grunt, Zelda placed the punch right on top of the fridge."Since I'm working my limbs, I might as well start my workout session."

She hopped off the top of the stool and jogged back over to the counter where her homework was sitting. She grabbed her pink iPod Nano and put the headphones in her ears. Her exercise step stool was already sitting out. Feeling the music, she stepped up and down on the stool and stretched out her arms.

Pichu had lost interest in the television and was now watching Zelda step up and down on the stool. She observed in awe at the interesting ritual. She let out a small cry before hopping off the couch and scampering over to where she was working out.

"PICHU!" Pichu chirped. She reached a tiny paw out to the stool, wanting to play Zelda's game.

Zelda had heard Pichu's cry and looked down at the pokémon trying to climb onto the stool. "Hey, you!" Zelda pointed her finger at Pichu, making her freeze. "No! No, no, no! Got it?" she scolded her.

Pichu let out a defeated sigh and watched the tall woman continue to play with her stool. _Why can't I play too?_ Pichu thought. But all was forgotten when Pichu spotted a bright colored ball.

Meanwhile, Zelda was still shaking her head. _I can't believe I have to act like a mother to this thing. I have to tell it "Don't do this," or "Don't touch that." I have to be on constant watch for…um…_Zelda took that time to notice the small pokémon was out of her sight.

She instantly stopped her work-out, one foot resting on top of the stool. Her eyes gazed around for Pichu. "Where did that rat…." She glanced over at the empty den and then switched her gaze to the empty kitchen. It was when she heard the pokémon cry out its name, did she notice her presence only a few feet in front of her. She gasped as she saw Pichu on top of her exercise ball, bouncing up and down.

"Hey! Didn't I tell you not to tuh…Aah!" Zelda's rant was cut off when she tripped over the step stool in front of her, falling flat on her face. As she groaned from the pain, the doorbell rang. Her head shot up quickly. "Uh…coming!"

Zelda decided to ignore her for now and headed for the door. Once at the door, she slowly started to unlock it. She glanced back at Pichu now balancing on the ball while moving it around the house. Pichu turned the ball to come Zelda's way. "You little rat! Stop right…" She was cut off once again as the ball rammed into her, knocking her down once again. She didn't even have the energy to get back up. "Ow…I hate this rat…"

"Aww…do you really hate it?" a familiar voice said.

"I hear your voice, but it shouldn't be you," Zelda muttered into the carpet floor. She looked up and saw Link staring down at her."What are you doing here and how did you even get inside?

"Well, you're the one who let me in. You unlocked the door and then I heard a thud. Thinking it to be an accident, my only thought was to come inside and check if you were alright." The blonde male looked at the fallen dancer and smirked. "And…are you?"

"I was until you showed up!" Zelda took this time to get up from the ground. She brushed off her top and then turned her glare on Link. "You still haven't said _**why **_you're on this part of town yet," She reminded him.

"Oh that." Link ran a hand through his hair before walking inside the room. He was dressed in some faded jeans and a black shirt with an oddly shaped large, gold, cross logo on the front of it. "Samus called me and told me about you babysitting Pichu. I thought that would be too big of a task for you alone."

"Is that all?" Zelda felt a tug at her pants and saw Pichu was now chewing at her pants leg. She narrowed her eyes at the pestering little pokémon. "If you want to help me out, you can take yourself and this little infestation out of here. You're both contaminating my home."

"That's a tad harsh don't you think? Couldn't you let your company stick around for a little bit?" Link stared down at Pichu and smiled. "Besides, I don't think Pichu wants to leave so soon. Seems she's taken a liken' to you, Miss Zellie."

"Stop with the nickname already, Gaiden." Zelda watched Pichu nuzzle against her leg. But as she looked at the smile on the Pokémon's face, her face started to soften. "That's…just a little rat's game they play to toy with your minds," Zelda declared before turning her face into a scowl. "Act sweet one moment, then they're pestering you the next."

Link shrugged. "If you say so. Anyway, I can't take Pichu back home because they're still painting Shasta. So let me stay and help you. Please?" Link started to pout, his blue colored eyes looking like sad puppy dog eyes. "I'll be good. Plus, it might be less of a hassle with me around."

Zelda sighed. "Fine. But only because you know more about these rat creatures than I do," she explained.

"Great, Zellie. Whoops, I mean Zelda," Link covered up as he caught Zelda's stone, hard glare.

"Pichu!"

Zelda didn't even want to know what kind of trouble the little pokémon had gotten into now. She slowly jerked her head to left to see Pichu sitting on top of her exercise ball. But when she heard a hissing noise, she could only watch in horror as her pink exercise ball started deflating. The culprit Pichu was trying to pull her small paw out of the ball.

"Ah! Be more careful, Pichu." Link exclaimed as he walked over and helped her get her paw out of the ball. Pichu only smiled in gratitude as Link picked her up in his arms. He grinned sheepishly at Pichu and then Zelda. "Cute, she's clawing. What can you do? She's just a baby."

Zelda didn't answer Link's question. She only looked at Pichu smiling happily like a sweet angel. "Rat, I **REALLY **don't like you," she said flatly.

**Nintendo Dome**

"Whoo! Go Falcon!" Peach exclaimed, flailing her arms about.

"Yes. Go," Roy said with little enthusiasm. He and Peach were sitting on the sideline bleachers of the Nintendo dome. The race hadn't started yet, but Douglas Falcon was already eagerly test driving his car around the track. He was trying to beat his record supposedly.

"He's going to get it this time around! I just know it!" Roy had turned to their other friend Samus Aran, who had apparently come to support her brother as well. She was cheering just as much as Peach.

Roy had been to the dome before. Besides Falcon's track races, Fox had his flight practices in the same arena. The dome was surrounded with seats that were high off the ground for safety matters. There was a very long runway for the jets, Wolfens, and Arwings to take off on. Then surrounding the runway was a gigantic track with loops, ramps, and side roads. It was an amazing creation.

He heard a loud yawn, knowing it had emerged from his blue-haired friend, Marth. His head was resting in his propped up hand and his eyes were slowly drooping. Roy had been watching Marth try to fall asleep for the past couple minutes, but then he would be woken up by the sound of Falcon's blue car passing by and the girls' cheers. Marth had explained how the CIA called him late last night for a stake out and the crook didn't even show. But somehow like Roy, Marth was dragged down here by Samus.

"Here he comes! He's going to make it!" Peach exclaimed as she stood on her feet with Samus. The two girls stood on their toes and watched as Falcon's car reached the finish line.

"Seven…six…" Samus and Peach linked their arms and started to commence a countdown in unison. "…five…four…three…two…"

**SCREECH!** Falcon's car came to a shrieking halt as soon as he passed the finish line. The car pulled up right in front of the girls. He stuck his head out of the car and called, "Time!"

The five looked at the large stopwatch on one of the big screens of the Nintendo dome. The clock read, "1 m 21 sec 75ms."

"THAT'S A NEW RECORD BABY!" Falcon exclaimed, before shooting his arms in the air. "Who rocks?"

"YOU ROCK!" Samus and Peach exclaimed, before jumping off the bleachers and hurrying out to his car. Marth and Roy looked on as the two girls ran into Falcon's open arms and they started to jump around in happiness.

Marth looked at the "new record" Falcon had set. "The last time was 1 minute, 21 seconds, and 89 milliseconds. It's only by a few milliseconds. Can you really call that a new record?"

"In Falcon's book, yes you can," Roy answered. The two could only shake their heads at the ignorance set in front of them.

Meanwhile, Peach and Samus had finally gotten out of Falcon's embrace. Peach smiled at Falcon, completely feeling proud of him. "Congrats on your new record. You really know how to drive this ride around that crazy track."

"Blue Falcon and I go way back. I've been driving this baby since I turned sixteen. It's the name of my car," Falcon explained to Peach when he saw the puzzled look on her face. "With Blue Falcon, there's no race I can't win."

"Hmm…that's not what you said last week. Didn't you lose to that one Italian dude from Wii City. His car was like a baby Go-Kart and yet he still beat you." Samus reminded her brother.

"Samus, shut-up," Falcon said with a smirk. Samus only stuck her tongue out before heading over to his car.

Peach tried to switch the conversation in another direction. "Either way, I still find your interest in racing really fascinating. Plus, I love the racing outfit."

Falcon was dressed in an indigo colored tight jumpsuit, showing off his hidden six pack abs and other bulging muscles tucked into his golden colored boots. His gloves matched the colors of his boots and lastly he was wearing a red helmet with a falcon emblem on the forehead of the helmet. The helmet gave a shady look to Falcon's face.

"What can I say?" Falcon tapped his helmet. "Gotta dress to impress."

"Hee, hee. Nice phrase to live by." There was a moment of silence before Peach felt some tension. "I really am happy that you invited me here. I feel like I'm really starting to get to know you better."

"So then you don't think my sport is dangerous? Most women dump me because they can't stand to be around somebody who takes part in such reckless activities."

"I'll admit. I think it is pretty dangerous. But at the same time, I don't think it would be fair for me to judge you based on what you love to do. After all, there's a sweet side to you." Peach smiled as Falcon grinned at her compliment.

Falcon pulled his helmet off his head, shaking his brown hair out of his face. "I knew I wasn't being deceived when I first saw you, Blondie. Just as beautiful as you are on the outside." He silently cheered to himself as he successfully made Peach blush. "I think the chemistry is really bubbling between us."

Peach nodded. "I do too."

"You have some chemistry going on in this car. Literally," Samus called from the Blue Falcon. Peach and Falcon looked to see Samus now pushing her body through the window of the car, bending over to look at something. "Falcon, your miles are already over 12,000. You're supposed to change your oil every 6000 miles."

"Samus. It's just about 300 miles over 12,000, right? It's really no big deal."

"You mean more like 700 miles over! Your car is at risk," Samus shot back. She removed herself from the window of Falcon's car and stalked back over to her brother. She purposely put herself between her brother and Peach to get his attention. "You're putting your life in danger. What if your face blows off just because you forgot to make an oil change?"

"Sis, I have it under control. I'm going to eventually take it in and then everything we'll be just fine," Falcon explained. "Besides, those accidents are just pre-myth. Car parts have improved gradually since then."

"It doesn't matter if…" Samus was cut off when her brother abruptly put his hand on top of her head. She wrinkled her face when he started to ruffle her hair, making her feel like she was his pet dog.

"You know what I like about you two?" Falcon asked before putting one arm around Peach and the other around his sister and pulling them close. "I admire your love and concern for my safety. Your care makes me want to make a commitment to driving safely." Peach only blushed harder and Samus once again rolled her eyes.

Back at the benches, Roy was looking with a little jealousy at Falcon's embrace around the girls again. He nudged Marth hard in the ribs. "Is Peach blushing?"

Marth groggily opened his eyes. "Mm…I don't know Roy," he answered in a cranky tone. "Could you let me sleep for one minute?" he pleaded. He shut his eyes again and turned his body away from Roy.

Roy frowned at his friend. "Why are you even here if you don't even have the energy to make a response? In fact, I'm still questioning why I'm here. We really don't like this guy."

"Yes, but we love these girls," Marth answered before yawning once again. "I wasn't even going to take the risk of letting Samus go anywhere with her brother without me. Dead tired or not, I would not let Falcon get the time to try and get Samus to dump me again. Kind of the reason why you're here for Peach, right?"

"Yeah," Roy had to continue to remind himself that he was here for Peach's sake. "I just can't understand why she'd pick him."

"She just doesn't understand what kind of person he really is. Give it time," Marth explained.

Roy glared in Marth's direction. "She could know if a certain _**somebody**_ didn't swear me to secrecy about a certain _**somebody**_ who was practically massacred by a certain _**someone.**_" Roy groaned when Marth didn't reply to his comment. "Why are we keeping the truth from Samus again?"

"It's simply to protect her for her own good. You may not know this about Sam, but she's constantly trying to achieve this dream of her family getting along and the she can finally be at peace with herself."

Marth pictured his own irritating family."It's pointless since no family is perfect after all. But I'm willing to help Samus try to achieve that dream as long as she pushes for it because I love her. Her happiness is all I wish for her."

Roy nodded. "I guess…no…I do know what you mean. I shoot for the same kind of happiness when it comes to Peach. Even if she lived as an heiress, she lived a very hard life and she wanted to start fresh when she came here. She would cry when it would seem completely pointless. So I just made it my duty to make her wishes come true. It means everything in the world to me."

"We both love these two amazing women and their joy is what matters most to us. I don't want to ruin Samus' high spirits and that's why I'm hesitating to tell Samus about Falcon's assault. So please just bear with me on this one, Roy." Marth pleaded to his best friend.

"Fine. But I just really hope you are looking out for Samus' happiness." The last parts of Roy's words were muttered under his breath. Marth was tempted to ask Roy what he said, but he paused when he saw Falcon coming his way.

Marth could tell by the smug look on Falcon's face that this wasn't going to be tea time. He shifted his eyes away from the brute racer. "If you're looking for a congratulatory handshake for your new record, you're looking at the wrong guy."

"I'm actually relaying a message from _my sister**.**_" Falcon made sure to put emphasis on his blood relation with Samus. "She noticed you looking tired and suggested you go home and rest? Care to take her advice?"

Marth only returned the cockiness. "Well, you can tell _my girlfriend _that I'm quite fine. I wouldn't want to leave her in the hands of evil," Marth replied carelessly.

Roy's eyebrows rose at Marth's comment. The racer could pummel his best friend without a doubt. Their interactions always seemed like the battle of David vs. Goliath. Marth being the small and confident David and Falcon being the huge and intimidating Goliath. But Roy was unsure if Marth would be able to triumph over Falcon like David triumphed over Goliath.

"Lowell, I swear I've had it up to here with you." Falcon raised his hand up to his head indicating the length of anger. "You need to stop putting on this damn charade for your doofus friend here." He looked smugly at Roy. He hadn't forgotten their first encounter a couple days ago.

"The feeling is mutual, Falcon," Marth replied calmly. "Give up this dream of trying to separate Sam and me. You can try everything you want. Crack my jaw, blind me, or break my arms and legs. I'll keep coming back to where I need to be and that is by my love's side."

Falcon stepped forward pushing his face almost inches away from Marth's. Marth was a little taken aback by this reaction, but he sat there firmly. "Don't tempt me, Lowell," he said in a harsh whisper.

"I live to tempt," Marth answered darkly.

"You guys need to relax," Roy said all of a sudden. Marth and Falcon were looking at him as if he was crazy and Roy was wondering the same thing. "Keep this up in public and she won't want anything to do with the both of you. Remember, Marth?"

Roy's small hint, made Marth back away from Falcon. He shut his eyes and quickly did a short meditation to achieve his calm nature again. "Fine. I'm willing to stop as long as this idiot backs down."

Falcon wanted to challenge Marth once again. But he spotted Samus and Peach slowly coming back their way. "Whatever."

Roy suddenly felt nerves build up inside of him. Here he was sitting across from the guy who had won Peach's heart. _How am I possibly going to put up with this? It probably won't be long before Peach and Falcon eventually become a couple. Then what? How will I react when I see them talking to each other, holding hands, and… I can't even say it. But I don't want to seem like the jealous best friend with a bitter heart._

"Look, Falcon," Roy said all of a sudden, getting Falcon to turn and face him. Even Marth was looking at his best friend with curiosity.

"Peach told me about the date she went on with you last night. From the way she speaks about you, I can tell Peach really does like you a lot." He eyed Falcon. He didn't say a word, waiting for Roy to finish his statement. "I'm…hap…no…I'm fine that she likes you. But at the same time, I want to be able to trust you enough to know you'll take good care of Peach. She's my best friend and I don't want any harm to come to her." His last few words were stressed, in order to show Falcon how important Peach was to him.

Falcon stared long and hard at the red head. He looked ready to say something, but then he shut his mouth again. Something else came out instead. "Look. It's Roy, right? If there's one thing you don't need to worry about, it's me trying to bring harm to Peach. That's the last thing I wish for any woman. Including my sister." He turned his glare towards Marth, who narrowed his eyes back at him.

It was at this moment Samus and Peach had finally came to the bench. Both Roy and Marth sighed in relief as the two peacemakers had returned to keep them leveled with each other.

Peach smiled as she looked over at Roy. "Are you having fun? I'll feel bad for bringing you here if this didn't help you get to know Falcon."

Roy opened his mouth, but Falcon beat him to the punch. "Your little friend here is alright, Peach. I can see why he's your best friend. " The glare on Falcon's face had changed to a charming and "fake" (in Marth's opinion,) smile. "I feel we're going to get along just fine."

"Right, just fine," Roy replied quietly. He eyed Falcon and Peach once again, seeing the content smiles on their faces. _I don't know what kind of relationship we're going to have. This guy changes from one emotion to the next like he's on a 24/7 period._

"I'm really glad you two can get along." Peach walked over to Roy and hugged him without warning. "Thanks for coming. I really appreciate it."

Roy hugged his friend tightly, wondering if Falcon would be angered by this. He smiled against her shoulder. "Sure, anything for a friend."

"Anyway, let's go get this oil for the car before the race," Samus commented. She looked down at her boyfriend. "You want to come with us?"

Marth shook his head. "No, I'm just going to sit here and rest my eyes for a bit." He softly grabbed her hands and kissed them. "I'll be waiting right here."

Samus' smile faded. "But…" She was cut off when her right arm was grabbed by her brother and she was easily pulled away from Marth. She turned to face her brother, missing the angered look on Marth's face.

"If he's tired, let him rest. We wouldn't want to wish anything bad to happen to the poor guy after all." Falcon eyed Marth with a satisfied look on his face. "Coming along, Peach?"

"Yes, I want to see more of the dome." Peach squeezed Roy's shoulder. "We'll be back alright?"

"Alright." Marth and Roy said in unison as the trio walked away. Marth continued to glare into Falcon's back as he walked away with Samus. "You can't trust him. You have to realize that you have to be on constant alert with him, Roy."

Roy only nodded with his friend. He wasn't sure what Falcon's goals or intentions were for both Samus and Peach nor what he had in store for Marth and possibly himself.

**Zelda's Apartment (Three or So Hours Later)**

_It's been WAY too quiet. _Zelda thought to herself once again. After Link Gaiden had volunteered to take over her babysitting work over Pichu, she had locked herself in her bedroom. Strangely, Link nor Pichu had interrupted her during the whole time.

_Gaiden must be keeping the little rat preoccupied. It's just weird how he just appears and handles my problems. It's like he's some kind of guardian angel like protector or something. But I know I'm giving him way too much credit. _She set her pencil down and looked over at the door. _But what if…no…he wouldn't rob me blind would he? Hmph, I wouldn't put it past him. _Zelda shot up out of her chair and jogged over to the door. She thrust the door open. "Gaiden! What are you…"

Her voice faded slowly as she looked around the room. Everything seemed to be in its right place. But her gaze had frozen on the large couch in the den. There was Link Gaiden leaning against one of the arms of the chair fast asleep.

"He's asleep?" She asked herself softly while making her way over to the front of the couch. Sure enough, Link's eyes were definitely closed. His head was resting in his propped up hand, while his arm was protectively around Pichu. She noticed the pokémon was sleeping soundly as well in the blonde male's lap. "I can't believe these two are actually sleeping."

She laughed softly to herself. _What made me think he would be a thief? I know Gaiden is annoying, but he doesn't seem like that kind of person. Well…the restaurant incident may beg to differ though. Still…you couldn't tell that by just looking at him. _Zelda gazed deeply at Link's innocent face as his chest rose up and down, unaffected by her close presence.

_I think I like Link…erm…Gaiden… a lot better when he's sleeping. Too bad he can't always be like this, maybe then I could somewhat level with him…_Zelda watched Link move a bit making some strands of his blonde hair fall over his right eye. For some reason, this made Zelda's face grow hot and she didn't want to move away from him.

However, beautiful moments don't last forever. Pichu's ears had picked up on the sounds of Zelda's breathing. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the blonde woman and became extremely excited. "PICHU!" She leaped at Zelda, landing directly onto her shirt.

"Huh?" Zelda said a little loudly as Pichu clutched onto her green top. "What are you…" She was cut off when she heard a yawn not belonging to her. Her eyes froze as she met with Link's slowly opening aquamarine colored eyes.

Link looked directly at Zelda, startled at first. "Zelda? Um…what are you doing?"

Zelda felt her whole face go red as Link stared at her, waiting for her answer. "I…I...um…" With very little thought, she suddenly smacked Link hard on the nose, getting a pain-filled cry from Link. "A bug! It was just sitting there on your nose and I was just trying to get it off so it wouldn't bite you! Erm…it's gone now!" She stammered quickly.

"Um…" Link rubbed his nose before sighing. "Thanks…I think." He looked down at his lap. "Where's Pichu?"

"Pichu?" It was the first time Zelda had said the pokémon's name in a while. She looked down at her shirt. "She's right…wait…" Pichu had departed from Zelda during the commotion with Link. "Where did she go?"

Link stood and looked around as well. Zelda watched as Link's eyes all of a sudden grew very large. She asked with her own eyes what was wrong, and all he did was point behind her. Zelda turned and let out a large gasp when she saw Pichu on the kitchen counter chewing at one of her school assignments.

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING YOU LITTLE RAT!?" Zelda found herself yelling. Link was pretty surprised by Zelda's sudden eruption. He prayed in his mind that Pichu hadn't just sealed her fate. Link was going to grab Zelda, knowing she was going to throttle the poor pokémon. But she moved way too fast for him to catch her.

Pichu thought Zelda was only playing with her when she started running her way. But when she saw the angered look on her face, Pichu knew she wasn't coming to play. Pichu took this moment to jump off the counter and dodge Zelda who lunged after her.

"Zelda wait," Link called. "She's still young! "

"Being young is no excuse for ruining someone's very important homework assignment!" Zelda snapped back. She cornered poor Pichu in front of the refrigerator in the kitchen. "Give me back my assignment and I'll make sure not to hurt you too badly!" she threatened Pichu.

Pichu was scared of the dangerously approaching blonde. As soon as the woman let out a cry and lunged once again, Pichu took this opportunity to jump up high enough to get away from her. She reached the top of the fridge, her little paws grabbing what she hoped to be the edge of the fridge. But to Zelda's horror, Pichu had actually grabbed the edge of the punch bowl of blue juice. With Pichu's weight, the bowl tilted forward and onto its side.

Still standing in the den, Link watched the whole scene happen in slow motion. Pichu had fallen off the fridge first and luckily Zelda had caught the Pokémon. But slowly the blue concoction was falling like a waterfall aiming directly for Zelda and Pichu. Link shut his eyes as soon as the juice made contact with Zelda's hair.

* * *

People wandering outside and around the Larson Apartments could hear Zelda's scream. It was louder than any ambulance siren and everyone looked up at the top floor of the apartment.

* * *

Link opened his eyes again. "Ack," he babbled.

He couldn't find any words to say about the scene before him. Zelda was standing perfectly in place with Pichu still in her arms. But both of them were drenched with blue punch from head to toe. The bun in Zelda's hair had fallen loose and the now sticky blue hair was plastered to her face. Pichu was just frozen, almost traumatized.

"Zelda?" Link was a little afraid to hear her next reaction. He jogged over to where the two were standing. He came to a halt in front of the drenched, blue heiress. "Are you alright?"

Zelda's head slowly turned to face Link. She gritted her teeth, looking absolutely peeved. "I…am drenched…in blue…punch. Does it look like I'm alright?"

Link shook his head. "No it doesn't." He didn't know why, but he suddenly let out a snicker. He knew Zelda was glaring at him now, but he couldn't suppress it. He had to say it. "But come on, Zelda…don't look so…**BLUE!" **Link started cracking up in laughter so much that he had to grab his sides. "HA, HA GET IT!?"

His laughter was cut short when he looked at Zelda again. He gulped back his laughter, seeing the errupting flames surrounding Zelda. "Oh," she said in a dark tone. "I get it. But how about you get this?"

Without warning, she dropped Pichu carelessly and quickly grabbed one of Link's long ears. "Ow! Zelda! Ear! The ear!" he protested as she ignored him and pulled him towards the front door. As soon as she opened the door, she let go of his ear. "GET OUT!" Zelda gave Link a swift hard kick. Link was knocked right onto his face outside of the apartment. Link heard the door slam shut before he could even turn around to see her.

He chuckled, somewhat relieved that Zelda didn't throttle him. "I'll remember not to use that joke anymore."

* * *

Zelda sighed as she sat down in the bathtub for the second time. She had just cleaned out the first tub of water full of Impa's punch. Now the water was sparkling with clean water and bubbles. She was once again in her calming Safe Haven. She heard splashing about and watched as Pichu climbed into the bath as well. Though she was entering her sanctuary, she didn't shun the Pokémon from being here.

Zelda sighed to herself. "My life has been cursed ever since I moved here."

She felt a poke in her bare side. She looked to see Pichu was offering what seemed to be Zelda's bar of soap to her, almost like a peace offering. When she saw the sad look on Pichu's eyes, she simply took the soap and closed her eyes. "Thanks," she muttered.

She grabbed her wash cloth and started to clean up the young pokémon. "Pichu. If you don't know by now, I'm not really fond of rats. In fact, to say a rat's in my bathtub is just sick and wrong." She felt Pichu shiver in fear. "But I have to admit you're really some kind of character. I didn't think someone as young as you could cause such mess."

Pichu looked back at her. "Pi?"

"Yes, really," Zelda answered, understanding what the pokémon had said. "You know, you're really not that bad of a Pokémon. But at the same time, you need to learn about having some manners, especially when you're a guest in someone's home. Otherwise no one is going to want you, alright?"

Pichu looked at Zelda a little longer before once again cheerfully smiling. "Pi!" she nodded before getting up and nuzzling against Zelda's stomach.

Zelda didn't stop the affection Pichu was showing her. It seemed this bath had cleansed her from all the bitter thoughts in her head and stared her anew with Pichu. She slowly and timidly patted the pokémon on the head, letting a small smile form on her lips. "Good."

The bath went on for a little while longer. During that time, Pichu had tried to cheer Zelda up with her charm. She was successful when Zelda lightly giggled as she popped some bubbles with her tail. After a long moment of entertainment, Zelda finally drained the bathtub and the two dried themselves off with the spare towels.

"I'll have to clean up the punch mess now," Zelda said to herself while wrapping a robe around her body. She opened the bathroom door and then walked towards the den. She noticed someone else was in the kitchen. She felt nerves build in her body when she noticed Impa was standing by the kitchen counter. "Impa," she called softly.

Impa turned to face Zelda. "Oh hello, Miss Zelda. How was your bath?"

_That's all you're going to say?_ Zelda looked at her nursemaid skeptically. "It was great. But what about the mess in the kitchen?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Miss Zelda. A couple friends came by and cleaned up the mess for you. I walked in to see both Samus and Link cleaning up the place."

"Samus and Gaiden cleaned up the mess?" Zelda asked in disbelief. _Even after shunning Samus from my life? Even after literally kicking Gaiden out of the house? They came in and picked up the mess?_ "Why would they do that?"

Impa scratched her chin. "I'm sure they were feeling guilty about leaving the responsibility of Pichu on you." Impa laughed as the Pokémon scampered over to her when she heard her name. She hopped onto the counter and Impa patted the Pokémon on the head. "From what I heard, she was a lot of trouble."

"That's for sure," Zelda said softly before entering the den and eyeing the kitchen. Sure enough, the blue punch had been cleaned up and it even looked liked Samus and Link had cleaned up the dishes as well. "I just can't believe they did that."

"It's like I told you, Zelda. These people surrounding you really want to become your friends. It may not seem like it to you. But something keeps calling them back to come to your aid," Impa explained. "They're really amazing people."

"…" Zelda didn't respond at first. _It was like I said earlier. Every time I'm in a jam, one of these lower class Nintendo citizens always tries to get me out of it. It's not like I'm going to reward these people with cash, so why keep coming?_ She shrugged. "Well, they're an amazing something," she muttered.

"Anyway, I have to go back to the event after I pick up a new punch from Mrs. Aran. I just wanted to make sure you were alright before I left again." Impa grabbed her pursed and slung it over her shoulder. She looked at Pichu and let out a small cry of remembrance. "Oh, Link and Samus were hoping you wouldn't mind watching Pichu for a little longer. Link can't take Pichu in yet and Samus was rushed to the store for shopping."

Impa watched Zelda turn from her and go to the couch. "You don't mind, right?"

As Zelda sat on the couch, Pichu popped up right next to her. She looked at the pokémon who was begging with her eyes to let her stay. She leaned back against the sofa. "Whatever, I don't care." Her attitude was slowly making its way back.

"Oh, one more thing," Impa added, coming to halt in her walking. " Link knew you wouldn't probably be in the mood to talk to him just yet. But he wanted me to make sure and tell you how sorry he was for upsetting you and hoped you would forgive him."

Zelda thought about saying "No, I'll never forgive the jerk." But she thought back on all the things Link had done for her. Saving her, taking care of Pichu, and cleaning up the mess.

"I will eventually," she replied to her nursemaid.

Impa smiled. "Glad to hear it." She headed for the front door again. "Call me if you need anything." With that, she shut the door slowly and left Zelda with her own thoughts.

"I just don't understand you people of Nintendo. All these acts of sincerity when I'm just as rude as ever to you. You just keep coming back for more and get attacked again and again." Zelda's mind shifted to Link Gaiden's words the night of their little outing. She remembered how he admitted he wanted to be her protector and then he said those words. "My smile is yours. What does that mean anyway?" she asked herself softly.

Pichu cocked her head to the side. "Pi…"

Zelda's mind drifted to all the people she met while she was here. Samus Aran, Marth Lowell, Krystal Tamari, Roy Varvel, and Fox McCloud. She didn't really know them that well, but it's not like they ever tried to offend her. Then her mind drifted to the two people who constantly got on her nerves.

Her distant sister Peach Toadstool and the biggest annoyance in her life, Link Gaiden. Peach was without a doubt someone that Zelda didn't want to have anything to do with. As for Link, Zelda had to admit her thoughts on Link were switching back her forth. One day he would be a complete annoyance and then the next he would be somewhat less annoying.

All these interactions with these people were confusing her. She was treated with kindness and sometimes with malice. She had to wonder to herself: Who could she trust?

Zelda sighed before petting Pichu who had snuck onto her lap. Pichu looked up at her with a smile on her face. "Well, if there's anyone I do trust besides Impa," Zelda started while scratching the pokémon behind the ears. "I feel like I can trust you. But don't tell anyone." She warned the mouse, a small smile forming on her lips.

Pichu nodded. "Pichu pi!"

**Hostel (Roy's Room, Late Night)**

Roy closed his notebook, finishing his work at last. He didn't want to wait to write his little project so late, but he had been distracted by so many events in one day. But he felt he could finally go to sleep with a peaceful mind. Now that he and Peach were friends again, he wasn't as distraught and sleepless as last night. He had swore to himself that he would never let an argument come between him and his best friend ever again.

As he stretched his arms, his cell phone suddenly went off loudly. Not wanting to wake anyone up, he picked it up quickly. He was curious to see who would be calling this late. He could only think of Marth doing such a thing, but he noticed it was actually Samus' name on his phone. This tweaked his curiosity even more. "Why is she calling? Did something happen to Marth again?"

Fearing his ponders, he quickly answered the phone. "Samus? What's up?"

"_Sorry, this isn't Samus speaking."_ A male voice spoke. _This happens to be a relative borrowing her cell phone for a moment. _

Roy's eyes widened. It couldn't be. Why would it be? "F-Falcon?"

"_The one and only," _The racer replied. _"Look, I'm just going to be brief with you, Red. After the race this morning, I realized you were the extra baggage Peach was speaking about."_

Roy's eyebrow rose. "Excuse me? Extra baggage?" He wasn't going to lie. Falcon's comments weren't winning any brownie points with him.

"_Last night before Peach and I kissed, she was hesitant. She said to me how worried she was about one of her dear friends. She cared a lot about this friend and she felt like traitor to him because she lied to this friend about going out on that date. So, the dead weight was you, Red?"_

Roy didn't respond to his accusation. He couldn't believe Falcon felt he had the audacity to call him dead weight. But at the same time, he was wondering if Falcon was possibly right.

"_I have to admit," _Falcon started up again. _"I wasn't too happy to hear Peach was worried about some other guy. Now I'm a little ticked to find out she was worried about scum like you. This is it, Red."_

"What's it?"

"_This relationship you have with Peach. This "chummy, bubbly, I'm so happy" best friend relationship you have with her. It has to end now."_

"Hey!" Roy found himself yelling angrily. "You can't call me up and tell me to end my friendship with Peach! I don't care if Peach becomes infatuated with you, you're not going to come here and tell me that I have to let go of my friend."

"_I'm not saying you have to let go of your friend!" _Falcon hissed on the phone. _"But when we finally get together, I don't want to hear her talk about you holding her down."_

"I'm holding her down?" Roy repeated.

"_Exactly. If you care about Peach's own happiness, you'll leave her alone and let her get on with her life. You keep putting her on guilt trips and that's only making her feel even worse. You care a lot about Peach's happiness right? You don't want to take it away from her do you?" _Falcon questioned him.

"I…" Roy wanted to lash out at this guy. But he couldn't help but feel that Falcon was right. If he continued trying to get in Peach's way, he was only going to make her feel worse. But he knew what kind of person Falcon could be. If he told Peach about who Falcon was, how would Peach feel afterwards? Would she leave Falcon or start hating Roy more? He bowed his head. "No, I don't," he answered softly.

"_It's for the best, Red," _Falcon answered. _"You'll understand once you see how happy Peach will become. If you interfere with that happening, I swear you'll be on the same list that Lowell is on with 'll be doing your best friend a good favor._

Roy heard the phone click and he was now alone. But this wasn't just the feeling of being alone on the phone, but just being alone in this world. "Dead weight. That's what I am to Peach," Roy muttered to himself. "Well, I can help by lifting myself off her shoulders then. You won't have to worry about me bringing you down again."

"No," Roy argued with himself. "That's not true. I'm still going to be there for Peach no matter what. I just said that I wouldn't let another confrontation ever come between Peach and I ever again. That's a promise I intend to keep." He tossed himself onto his bed and looked up at the ceiling of his room. Words were always easier to say than to do. Could he really continue his friendship with his dear best friend and first true love? He sighed again, realizing he was going to have a rough sleep after all.

* * *

**A/N:** _Oh, another bitter chapter. Roy seems to be a little lost on how his relationship Peach will stand in the future. He's going to continue this friendship, but for how long will he be able to hold it? All will be revealed soon. Seems Zelda's suffering with friendship problems as well. Who can she trust in this world? Hopefully the two will be able to figure out their dilemmas soon._

_Once again, thanks for all your reviews so far. __Finally, please leave a review if it's not too much trouble because reviews are always appreciated and they are the keys to making me feel that this story is going great. Thanks for reading as well and I hope this chapter was to your liking! _

_Later Dayz! I'm going to sleep because I posted this at 2am! :)_

_**Royal Kenya**_


	20. Chapter Nineteen

__

Hi everyone! I come back to you all, another year older! I turned nineteen almost two weeks ago! I was going to update on the 7th (B-day) but I got too busy. But it's not only my birthday that's on the buzz! But also, MSIY will be two years old in four days! My gosh, time flies!

Before I start this chapter, I actually have a couple apologies to make. First, let me apologize for falsely ending Part I. Ugh...it just wasn't the time and I feel so stupid for announcing it. So in other words, **we're still in Part One**. Heh, Heh, I'm going to fix that ASAP. Okay, apology number two. I'm sorry for these gruesomely long chapters! I mean, they're just getting ridiculous! So, every week I'm trying to make them as short as I can. But not too short, so the chapter won't be boring. On the plus side, this chapter is much shorter than the last! Go me!

_That's all the apologies for now! Thanks for your reviews last chapter and thanks for looking out for mistakes.** (By the way. The site had one of it's daily mood swings and merged a bunch of my words. Sorry If I missed some.)** Oh, one more thing._

**_Disclaimer: I do not own, the wonderfully-addicting bubble gum pop S-Club 7 song "You're My Number One" that I'm using in this chapter!_**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Can a protector question his duty?  
__For I have a question, to ask of my princess  
_"_Am I really your friend?" I want to ask  
_"_Or am I only a toy to you, dear princess?" _

_However, I can't help but think  
__I really am seen only as her toy  
__To pick up when she's sad and lonely  
__Then put back down, once happy again  
__I see our relationship as more than that  
__I can't stress that phrase any further  
__  
Do you know the reason why I protect her?  
__I do this act of chivalry, because she's my friend  
__I do this act of chivalry, for her sensitive happiness  
__I do this act of chivalry, because I believe…  
__I believe…that I am the only one for her  
__And she's the only one for me_

"_Do I love her?" you ask me  
__(Smiles) I can honestly say I do  
__And I wish my princess would see it  
__This strong feeling building inside of me  
__  
But her heart seems to always yearn for something more  
__And I'm afraid this will cause her to never love me  
__Even if this is my fate, I won't leave her  
__I'm still her protector, destined to follow her  
__Till she finds her true happiness._

**Monday, Sometime Over Two Weeks**

September had departed as fast as it had come. There was no longer a shift between sunny and breezy cold days. It was simply cold, seeing the sun had finally retreated from its summer rant, letting the wind be the dominator over the weather.

_Just the way I like it. _Zelda breathed in the beauty of Mother Nature. Though the sun was nice, the cold weather could always put a content smile on her face.

"Two weeks. It came so fast." Impa was the first to break the silence. Zelda and Impa were standing by their car. The two sat in silence and watched the scenery in action. Students were passing the car from left to right, either hurrying to or departing from their classes.

"Yes, it did." Zelda felt a lump form in her stomach and started to feel uneasy. This day was destined to come. But Zelda wished time had gone just a little bit slower. But after she departed from that car, Impa wouldn't be coming back to pick her up. She would be leaving to head back home to Joypadana.

"You know," Impa's voice was almost too soft for Zelda to hear. "As I think about how this will be the last time I drop you off, I feel like I'm making a terrible choice to leave you here alone."

"No, you aren't," Zelda corrected her, making Impa look over her way. "I-I'll be fine. I'm a young woman, capable of taking care myself."

"Which is what I'm worried about," Impa intervened.

"What do you mean?" Zelda knew Impa's intentions behind her statement.

"Please. For me," Impa's face was covered in hope for Zelda. "I want you to…"

"Impa. Just this one time, spare me the friendship speech. Harkinians are born independent leaders, and they have never had to rely on friendship."

The nursemaid could have said a million things to counter Zelda's remark, but chose not to. Instead, she turned her gaze over to a familiar face heading her way. "Peach," she said in a soft whisper.

"Huh?" It only took a few seconds for Zelda to see Peach jogging over to the duo. She expected Peach to scowl at her once she was in a close enough range. But she only ignored Zelda's presence and halted right in front of Impa.

Impa seemed to perk up once Peach approached her. She took Peach's hands in her own. "I must say Peach, dear. I wasn't expecting to see you before I had left."

Peach returned the smile. "There aren't enough times that a person like me could say her good-byes to someone as wonderful as you. I just can't believe you're leaving."

"I can't believe it either. I have very little power in making a change to this outcome," Impa explained quietly. "I do wish that your father would've picked someone else for this task."

Impa's pain stricken face, made Zelda's and Peach's hearts drop a bit. They understood this pain. For it was the same dwelling within them. "But, Daddy needs you," Zelda stated. "His campaign is very important to all of us. I know you care for my father's success in his election."

"Only you and Peach are the ones I give my care to," Impa claimed to her mistress. "I couldn't even think of taking on this job, if it weren't for the birth of you two ladies."

"Impa," The two girls uttered in sync. The nursemaid's words had successfully touched them.

Impa's next few words were silenced, by the sound of the bonging clock tower. It was now 12:00pm. "I wish I could stay longer, but I must be going. I do hope you girls succeed in everything you do. I believe in you."

"Thank you," Peach slowly and hesitantly let go of Impa's hands. "B-be safe." She added, her lips quivering against each other.

"I wish you the same Peach. Zelda, take care of yourself," Impa called to her. She slowly walked backwards, waiting for a certain reaction from Zelda. She only felt disappointment hit her face, as Zelda only nodded without any feeling. She sighed and turned back to the car.

"Impa."

Impa turned once again, to be attacked with a hug from Peach. She was surprised by this sudden reaction, but she could only smile as she heard the young woman crying softly. Impa felt tears fall down her face, cherishing their everlasting friendship. "Thank you so much for seeing me."

Zelda watched this display of affection from afar. She wanted to feel disgusted by the way Peach had started sobbing. But as she saw Impa kiss Peach's hair, she suddenly felt a hole in her stomach.

_Why didn't I rush to hug her like Peach? She's always been important to me. I want to…I just…I can't. _Her body felt like it was trapped under rocks, weighing by the tons. They were suffocating her, keeping her from reaching out. She felt her relaxed demeanor drop, as Impa suddenly let go of Peach and headed for the car. She gave Zelda one last wave before getting in the car and taking off.

Impa couldn't help but look back, at the two girls left at the sidewalk. One girl, with a look of complete misery. The other, Impa couldn't comprehend how she felt. She could only hope for the best, as a final tear fell down her face. _I'm sure she'll be alright. I know you will, dear Zelda._

Zelda observed Peach, brushing the remains of her tears. She could see how emotionally hurt her older sister was.

"Zelda," Peach's calling of her name, made her jump. She was now looking at Zelda, with red rimmed eyes. "Don't say anything, okay?"

Her random statement caught Zelda off guard. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I know you're itching to say something about me. I'm crying and I'm vulnerable to anything you hurl at me. Even though it's pleasing you to see me like this, I want you to just leave me alone, just this once."

Peach explained her statement in the simplest of terms. However, Zelda wasn't too pleased with it.

_Is she serious? Did she really think I was going to say something about her? I have to say, I'm quite offended. _And she did. "That's pretty offensive of you, Peach. I may not like you, but I'm not heartless. Making fun of you now would be as bad as laughing at the deceased during a funeral."

It was Peach's turn to be appalled by Zelda's words. Zelda's snooty face was visible to Peach. But behind that face, were the sincere words coming from a younger sister, she had known so long ago. "You're not going to say anything? I'm sorry, but it's not something I'd expect from you."

"How can you know what to expect from me? You haven't seen me in three years. Impa just left. You're obviously upset and though it may not look like it, I am too."

To be more specific, Zelda felt like a wounded animal, being attacked by the beastly feelings of pain and dejection. She needed comfort, more than anything. But she had missed it when Impa had offered.

"I…I see," Peach replied. She could no longer see Impa's car. "It really does hurt me. After all, Impa was the one I would run to whenever I was upset."

"Me too," Zelda agreed. Once again, Zelda was being thrown into a peaceful conversation with her sister. And for the both of them, it felt great. "It's like, who do I run to now? Our parents' love could never match Impa's."

Peach looked across to the vulnerable Zelda. She could tell her sister was becoming weak, just like her.

_She needs your comfort. Now that Impa is gone, Zelda is going to need someone to look out for her. _Peach's conscience was slowly brainwashing her into confronting Zelda.

"You know, you're not alone in this," Peach reminded her sister. "I mean, you still have some people here, who'll look after you. Like my friends."

"Ha, ha. Would they now?" Zelda asked sarcastically. "From what I know, they all seem to dislike me. It doesn't matter anyway. I've already got enough protection around the house as it is."

Peach had to agree with her there. Impa had informed her about the security hired to make sure Zelda's home was fully protected and stocked. "But security isn't the same as having friends, Zelda. They can't give you the emotional protection."

"So, you're saying that your chummy little friends can show me love and affection? Is that the nonsense you're trying to preach to me?"

"No, that kind of affection can only be given by someone close to you!" Peach blurted out in irritation. Her sudden outburst, made her blush in embarrassment.

Peach had done it. She had pretty much exposed herself to Zelda. Zelda was now looking astonished at her sister. She knew what was on Peach's mind. "From someone close…" Zelda's words were flying at Peach in slow motion. "…like who?" Zelda tested her. Was there finally going to be an end to their three year battle?

Peach had to say it. There was no telling when she would have another opportunity. "I...I don't think it's that hard to figure out."

"Hey, Zellie girl! Hey Peach!"

Peach's confession was interrupted by the sound of a familiar friend. The merry Link was jogging over with a smile on his face. "Hey, Link."

"And thus, my day starts off with a bad sign," Zelda had returned to her normal, irritating self. Link Gaiden just had that kind of effect on her.

"Sorry, I just had to come over here." Link shifted his eyes from Peach to Zelda. "It's a rare sight to see you two talking, let alone be in the same place. Could it be that you two have finally put your differences aside?"

Peach wasn't sure of the answer, to Link's conjecture. "Um…Link?"

"Go fantasize somewhere else, Gaiden. Does it look like we're holding each other in sweet embrace?" Zelda pointed back at Peach, as if she were a sickening bug.

It seemed like speeding car had just crashed into a wall. Peach felt her own soft face, wrinkle up in frustration. _No, this isn't the time to make up. As long as Zelda insists on treating me like I'm the lowest of low, I can never see it happening. _Peach let out a small "hmph," before addressing Link. "We were saying our last good-bye's to Impa. She was leaving today, remember?"

"Oh," A look of dismay didn't fail to appear on Link's face. Impa's valediction wasn't something cheer about. "Right. Impa was a nice woman. I thought she would just become a Nintendo City regular."

"Yes, it would have been nice if she came to live here." Tears pricked the crevices of Peach's eyes again.

Zelda's eyes blinked from Link over to Peach. "Why are you two getting so sentimental about this? She said she'd be back eventually. Don't be so juvenile."

"Even if it is for a while, it's just going to seem like an eternity to me," She wasn't afraid anymore. Peach let her tears fall once again, softly crying to herself.

"Peach," Zelda found herself saying. Peach was clearly a different woman from the regular "Comeback Queen" Peach, she had witnessed repeatedly. She had become so fragile in less than a minute.

"Hey, no tears Peach," Zelda's eyebrows rose as Link approached Peach and encircled her in his arms. Peach started to sob onto his shoulder. From where Zelda was standing, she could tell Link's hug was keeping Peach warm. "You know me, and the others are here for you."

"I know," Peach muffled against his shirt.

Zelda couldn't help but think to herself. _His embrace. Is Peach feeling that same warm and safe touch I did? _Unknowingly to Zelda, this spiteful ponder made her long for that touch again. _That touch can never return. It was a once in a lifetime moment. _

Zelda's frozen heart was melting away the prickling icicles. Its target was to be a part of that hug. To get the warmth it needed to be free again. Her heart needed her love. But her heated brain, begged her heart to stop. But as Link and Peach continued to stand in their hold, her heart only pushed for its desire more.

In fear, Zelda took a small step back from the scene. _I…I need to get out of here. These people, they just keep drawing me into these false hopes of finding friendship. I don't want any part of it!_

With one last squeeze, Peach withdrew from her hug. She took a step back, smiling at Link with a tear stained face. "Thank you, so much. Your friendship…you…you just don't understand how much it means to me."

Link smiled brilliantly. "Like I said, we have each other's backs. Heh, and though she may not want to hear it, we have Zelda's back too." He flipped around, expecting to be smacked with a scoff from the stuck up heiress. But she was nowhere in sight.

Peach had noticed this before Link had even spoken her name. "Zelda? Where did she go so quickly?"

From right to left, Link's head moved like a pendulum. "She might have bolted after witnessing our fluffy, friendship scene. It probably made her sick to her stomach."

"Mmm…perhaps." But Peach knew there was more to it. Zelda was sick, but she was emotionally sick. She was suffering a severe loss of friendship. Being exposed to this much rapport all at once, made Zelda nervous. She wanted to get away as fast as she could, afraid to take the medicine.

"Hmm. You know, Link?" Link's eyes fell on Peach, as she came to agreement with her own thoughts. She slightly smiled, thinking of the possibility. "There might be some hope for that little stuck-up heiress after all."

**Country Club**

_**What is love, cuz baby I don't know  
I got a funny feeling in my heart  
If this is love - it feels like butterflies  
So tell me baby is this how it starts**_

**_I know I've never felt like this before  
You're like a drug you got me wanting more  
I've got to let you know - I've got to let you know_**

Samus smiled as her favorite part came up. She was happy to see the wedding guests up and on their feet.

_**You're - you're my number one  
I'd do anything for you  
Catch the rain from the sky, even hold back a tide for you  
Baby baby, you're - you're my number one  
With you I know I belong  
I put the radio on and it's always playing our song  
**_

"How are the acoustics?" Lydia Aran turned to her husband Darren Aran. She smiled as he stood next to her, and watched their daughter perform on the stage with so much energy.

"I haven't even noticed them. She's just a complete rocker on her own," Mrs. Aran replied. "Simply wonderful. Dear, have you noticed Samus has really been improving lately?"

"Mm-hmm, she has," Her husband agreed. "Not too flat, not too sharp. She's been pretty much flawless. I guess her voice lessons and theory work are finally paying off huh?"

"True. Though I feel she may have been inspired by a certain someone," Mrs. Aran pointed over to a nearby table, where Marth was watching his girlfriend perform. She then looked back at her daughter, making eye contact with the blue haired male. "It seems her singing has improved, since they got back together. Love songs always sound better when you're thinking about a loved one."

Mr. Aran didn't think Marth deserved all the credit for Samus' improvement. After all, he and his wife were the ones who pretty much trained her to sing since birth. Marth just happened to appear like an opportunist. "Hmm…I guess the boy does need to be given some props."

Mrs. Aran simply rolled her eyes. She knew her husband had promised to accept Marth, but it was going to be a very long journey to achieve that. "I'm just so proud of her. She may soon outshine me. Just listen to that voice of hers. She's just nailing all the parts she had trouble with."

_**Baby baby, you're - you're my number one  
With you I know I belong  
I put the radio on and it's always playing our song**_

Samus just couldn't keep her eyes off Marth while performing. She was hoping the wedding guests around her didn't think she had forgotten who she was singing this for. But it seemed the bride and groom, were happily dancing together.

_  
__**There ain't nothing I won't do  
Walk on water just to be with you**_

_**Baby baby, you're - you're my number one  
I'd do anything for you**__  
__**Catch the rain from the sky, even hold back the tide for you  
Baby baby, you're - you're my number one  
With you I know I belong  
I put the radio on and it's always playing our song**_

Marth noticed a few people were now looking at him. He even heard some people say "Is that her boyfriend," or "Nice catch." He couldn't help but turn a bit red from the commentary.

"Marth?" A hand touched the back of Marth's green blazer.

His two familiar CIA buddies by the names of Joshua and Ike. Joshua had long red hair past his shoulders, red eyes to match, and happened to be Roy's cousin. **(A/N: FE fans, I know they're not related.) **Ike had a darker shade of blue hair and eyes than Marth; an old high school friend of Marth's.

"You know that's ole blue boy, Ike. You two are the only blue smurfs, around here ya know?" Joshua joked before sharing his signature handshake. "How ya doin' mate? Didn't know you were friends with the wedding couple."

Marth shook his head. "No, I'm not. Just friends with the wedding singer," he remarked. "Thought I'd come and support Samus since I have nothing better to do."

"Samus?" Joshua echoed. He peered harder at Samus along with Ike. His small crimson eyes suddenly rose in size. "Well, I'll be. That is that ole tomboy Sam. Dang, when did she get all fem?"

"Apparently, during our two year trip to France," Ike conjectured. "She's gone from tomboy to bab…erm…very lovely woman." He caught himself quickly, not wanting to get on Marth's bad side. "You're a lucky one, Marth."

"Heh, I can't help but agree," Marth replied proudly.

"Yeah, but I'd watch that pop singing diva if I were you, my friend," Joshua warned Marth. "Once you reach this peak in fame, you become public love magnet number one."

His comment made Marth's left eyebrow rise. "What are you trying to say? You think Sam might start being seen as some sexual object?"

"Hey, I didn't say it," Joshua claimed innocently. He pushed his red locks behind his ear, before looking back at the stage. "But that's basically the gist of it. Men would eat beautiful gals like ole Sam alive, and enjoy every minute of it. Willing to wager?" He tossed his favorite gold coin into the air.

Ike glared at their red haired friend before catching the coin. "Josh, man. This is one thing, you shouldn't be gambling on." Ike's assertive face turned to Marth, looking apologetic. "He's just joking, man. You and Samus are tight. That could never happen."

Marth confidently nodded, thankful for a friend who actually spoke with a mature mind. "Joshua just wishes his relationship with Marisa, would have been as great as mine with Samus."

Ike chuckled, as Joshua's face turned red in aggravation in fury. "Yup. Marisa was the one wearing the pants in that relationship."

"Oh, what do you two smurfs know? I was the HDIC when I was going out with her. Head Dude in Charge." His cocky attitude dissipated, once viewing the amused faces of the blue haired duo. "It's true!" He stressed to his buds, as they continued to snicker.

Loud cheering from the wedding guests, made Marth and his two agent friends turned to the stage. Samus was standing proudly center stage, bowing in gratitude for their appreciation of her performance. As her blonde head rose again, Marth couldn't help but be captivated by her for a moment. Samus really had changed. The "get-down n' dirty" Samus was still alive, but the singer now knew how to appear soft, pure, and beautiful.

"She's such an adorable young lady!" An elder woman on the left of Ike was clapping with endless enthusiasm. The man standing next to her caught Marth's eye quickly. He seemed to be looking at Samus, with more than just admiration for her singing.

"More like a _fine, _young, babe!" Marth's scowl burned at the man staring at his girlfriend in a lustful way. He seemed to have only a couple years on Marth.

"You think so?" Ike's louder voice had beaten Marth's to the punch. "You know who else thinks she's a fine, young, babe?

"Hmm, this guy right here. Remember Ike?" Joshua slung an arm over Marth's shoulder, achieving a perplexed glance from his friend. "Marth. You know. Her _boyfriend_?" Joshua's voice carried over to the lustful man.

The man made contact with Marth for one second, before sitting back down quietly. These companions of Marth were as priceless as his love for Samus, (or close to it, anyway.) He nodded to his agent buddies, grateful for their help in setting the man straight. But Marth couldn't help but wonder about Joshua's words. How many people really did think of Samus as this doll, this love object?

* * *

"Great performance as always, Sam."

Samus smiled stunningly, before kissing Marth on the cheek. "Thanks." Her soft hand, laced with Marth's own hand.

The two ventured towards a more secluded part of the garden area. The wedding was taking place in the field of one of the Nintendo Country Clubs. The garden was covered in many diverse, verdant, and beautiful types of plants. The size and width of the plants, made it easier for the two lovers to escape unnoticed.

"Let's sit there." Samus lifted her laced hand and pointed towards a lone bench. She slowed her pace, letting Marth take the lead and then courteously letting her sit on the bench first. She sighed heavily, as Marth sat down next to her. "I just feel relaxed, when I come here. It's like a getaway from the noisy city ya know?"

"Mm-hmm…" Marth watched as Samus shot her arms up, stretching them and letting out a small strained cry.

He wanted to chuckle, but all his senses started to focus, on what was now right in front of him. Samus' bosom was just peacefully resting at its proper and assigned place. _I've been dating Samus for practically all my life, but her boobs had never stuck out to me like they are now. It's no wonder why that man made that lustful comment. But…who wouldn't? _Marth suddenly felt an unfamiliar feeling combusting within his body.

"Marth?"

Marth snapped out of his captivating daydream, to see Samus was now staring at him. Her green eyes were glossed with curiosity. "Are you listening to me?" she asked. "You're planning on going to my concert this weekend, right?"

"Uh…" Marth's face started to flush, only making Samus even more lost by his actions. "Do you really have to ask? You know, I'm coming." His weak answer seemed to fade and flow away with blowing wind.

He tried to avert his eyes away from Samus' sexual features, but his mind wasn't accepting the concept. Something was just alluring about beige low-cut satin top she was wearing. It was just too pleasurable for his eyes.

Luckily, Samus had folded her arms over her chest, feeling uncomfortable with Marth's silence. "Are you sure you're fine?"

Seeing Samus concerned face, filled Marth with guilt. He smiled weakly before leaning over and placing a kiss on her cheek. "Yes, I'm fine. Just looking at the nice rhinestone pattern on your top,"" He stammered quickly. His excuse didn't seem to faze Samus. "Go on, I'm just spacing out a bit from lack of sleep," he lied.

"Heh, poor baby," Samus cooed while patting him on the head. She exhaled, "I think this is one of my favorite performances. All those smiling faces at the wedding, gave me the strength to give it my all. My parents weren't arguing and of course you were here to support me. I'm glad my dad is learning to accept you."

"Sam," Marth didn't want to burst Samus' bubble, but it had to be said. "I'm just as happy as you are to see your father hasn't killed me yet. But, I don't think he's even close to calling me "part of the family," like in our childhood years."

"Don't say that," Samus scolded him. "You have to remember, we did break up. It's not going to be simple for my dad to make amends with the guy I dumped."

"Samus," Marth stressed her name this time, indicating he was being serious. "I'm hoping you haven't forgotten how our fathers put together a plan, to separate us, and succeeded. Not trying to lower your spirits or anything, but your dad can't be over…"

"Marth!" Samus snapped, making Marth jump a bit. Samus' face was livid and hurt by his words. "Why do you always think the worst possible thing? My dad and my brother are changing. You're just not giving it time, like me," Samus explained, her anger subsiding. "Soon, everything will be perfect again."

Marth understood Samus' pain, but she had to understand the truth. Her father was most likely putting on an act. He didn't forget how his own dad, Mr. Lowell had reacted when they exposed him of their crime. He felt no shame in what he did to Marth and Samus. So why wouldn't Mr. Aran be the same? However, no longer wanting to upset Samus, he stayed silent.

"Marth?" The blue haired male wasn't expecting Samus to turn the tables on him. "Do you think my brother is honest? Like you can trust him right?"

_Putting it lightly Samus, your brother is about as nice as Hitler. I could trust him about as far as I can throw him. _Oh, how Marth wanted to just roar those words into Samus' face. But he withdrew the truth, to keep Samus unconcerned. "You know I can, Samus. Sure, we don't get along, but I've never seen him as ruthless guy."

Another lie.

The naïve singer sighed in relief. "That makes me feel a little better. Still…" She was cut off by Marth pulling her into a hug.

"I know how important this family unity is to you. More than anything, I want you to achieve it. I'm going to stick by you, okay?" Marth whispered into her ear. She nodded against his neck and sighed in defeat. It was easy for Marth to save Samus from lowering her self esteem. But, he didn't know how much longer he could keep these false hopes fueling.

**Cafeteria**

"Ow…"

Roy's eyes fell onto the occupant of the seat next to him. Worry marks appeared on his forehead, when he saw Peach grabbing her head in pain. Her malady was acting up again "Are you okay? You have your medicine right?"

"Yes, I do," Peach was already placing her manicured fingernails, deep within her large white purse. "It should be in here somewhere…mm…got it!"

She victoriously cheered as she lifted her bottle into the air. Inside the orange transparent bottle, were large yellow and black colored pills. She pulled one out, and popped it into her mouth like candy. "Krystal? Can I borrow your water? I'm just going to waterfall it."

"Sure." Krystal handed her bottled water over to her blonde buddy.

Peach opened the bottle and raised it up above her lips, letting the water fall down into her mouth. She then licked her lips, gulping down the large pill. "That's better. Thanks, Kryssie."

"Have you been taking your medicine lately?" Roy asked, observing Peach pass the bottle back to the violet vixen. "It doesn't seem like you're getting any better." He heard Fox make a grunt in agreement to his statement.

"I tend to forget sometimes," Peach admitted, blushing in shame. "But, it's not that bad. I mean there are some days when my head doesn't hurt. So, I think I'm getting better." Peach knew this could never be the case. She was sentenced to taking these pills till she breathed her last breath.

"Peach, you have to be more careful about this," Roy lectured her. Peach rolled her eyes playfully, making Roy feel angered about her carefree attitude. "Peach. You know…"

"I know, I know," Peach reassured Roy, with a laugh. "Don't be so motherly with me, Roy. If I don't care for myself, I'm going to wind up in the hospital again. But I guess I shouldn't joke about illnesses around you, huh?"

Krystal bit her lip when she saw Roy's serious face. "You really shouldn't, Peach. You do know we all care about your health, right?"

"I know you all do," Peach answered softly. She looked at the two humanoids, finally satisfied with Peach's manner. However, she could still the hurt look on Roy's face. She felt like saying something, but another idea came to mind. She dug into her purse and pulled out another vial. She waved it in front of Roy's face. "Here," she said sincerely, before dropping it in Roy's hands.

Roy inspected the bottle quickly. It didn't take him long to identify the contents within the bottle. "Isn't this your medicine?"

"The doctor always gives me a spare bottle just in case," Peach explained to her friend. "I'm sure that two bottles are too many for me to handle. So, I want you to hold onto one of them for me."

"You want me to keep one?" Roy asked, still in disbelief. "Why?"

"For one thing, you're always trying to get me to take the medicine. Now you can force me to take it at any time," Peach said with a laugh. "But, the other reason is because I trust you. I know you'll take care of it and have my back. In other words, it's like my life is in your hands."

Roy could tell Peach was speaking the truth. "Peach," he said in the quietest whisper.

Fox shifted his eyes from Peach to Roy, and then looked back at Krystal. "Wow, is there a tree planted nearby? Because it's getting pretty sappy over here," He joked.

"Fox," Krystal scolded him.

Peach on the other hand, laughed at Fox's remark. The warm moment between the two best friends, evaporated into thin air. "Hee, hee. That's something I'd expect Roy to say."

Roy smirked, realizing he better return to his naturally cheery self. "Yeah, I mean come on Peachie. That was pretty epic. Why didn't you just give me a sword and tell me I'm about to embark on a dangerous journey?" He joked, earning laughter from the two other friends at the table.

"Ha, ha. You're all captains of comedy," Peach gasped, taking a glance at her pink PDA. "Speaking of captains, I have a boyfriend to meet. He's going to take me to my photo shoot. You won't believe what kind of shoot Gem has put together this time."

"Oh," Roy's stomach was suddenly attacked with that familiar emotion again. "Falcon's going to watch you?"

"Yup, he's never actually seen me in action. Gem is pretty secretive when it comes to his photo shoots. But he's been pretty happy with me, during these last two weeks. He doesn't care if I invite him," Peach explained. She picked up her purse and then fastened her green scarf around her neck comfortably.

"I see," Roy couldn't help but feel even worse as his best friend talked so lively. Peach seemed to be much happier since she and Falcon started going out two weeks ago. Roy could still remember how excited she was, when she told him about it. "What's the photo shoot anyway?"

"Oh!" Peach's blue eyes shifted away from Roy's. "Thing is, I still can't mention the shoot. I can only let Falcon know. This is one of his greatest projects, and he says it cannot be revealed to the public until it's published in his next issue."

"Right," Roy said solemnly. _Nothing stopped you the first time. You told everyone about your first photo shoot with such pride. _His true feelings could only be kept in his head. "Well then, make sure you have fun and don't be too cheesy," he half-heartedly advised her.

Peach gave him a thumbs-up. "Got it! See you guys, later tonight." She spun around with a pleased smile on her face, her long hair flowing behind her as she walked away.

"Ever since Peach and Falcon started dating, she's been a lot more peachy," Fox pointed out, before taking a bite of the sandwich in front of him.

Krystal nodded in agreement. She then shifted her body, to get a good glimpse of Roy. It was happening again. Once Peach left, Roy had suddenly become very quiet and miserable. His disheveled red hair even seemed to lose its perk, every time Krystal would look at it.

It pained both Fox and Krystal, to see their friend in so much pain. But there was nothing neither of them could do to make Peach break up with Falcon. She was happy with him, and Falcon the same. From what they have observed, Falcon was a very decent boyfriend. Why break up a relationship that was going so well?

These equivalent thoughts were also being rolled into Roy's head. He had watched Douglas Falcon these past two weeks, and he was nothing but a wonderful boyfriend to Peach. He was a satisfactory guy for her.

Of course, Roy hadn't forgotten about the occurrence with Falcon two weeks ago, on the phone. He had threatened him to leave Peach alone. He was only "dead weight" to her these days. Back then when the racer had said it, the twenty-one year old denied such a thought. But after seeing Peach's gradually increasing happiness, he couldn't help but feel Falcon was 100 percent right.

Fox looked at his own watch. He had to get some exercise in, before taking his Arwing out for a test run. "Roy. Do you think you might want to do something after classes are over? You know, go to the Eight Pocket and shoot pool?" Fox offered. He'd give anything to get his friend back to normal.

"Nah, thanks for offering. But Marth already asked me to hang with him and my cousin later." His defeated sigh, made Krystal and Fox feel even worse for him. "Though, I think I might cancel on them too. Think I want some more "me" time, playing video games or…something else."

Fox stood up, screeching his chair against the tile. "If you say so." He glanced around the cafeteria. "I gotta go and meet up with Falco." He quickly leaned over and gave Krystal a brief kiss on the lips. "I'll meet you after your dance class."

"Sure, I'll see you then." She smiled as her boyfriend took off in a hurry towards the exit. She needed to head to her writing class, but the melancholic Roy concerned her. "Roy, please. You haven't been the same since Peach and Falcon got together."

"Well, this is how you're supposed to feel, when the girl you love finds another," Roy explained with very little enthusiasm. Roy's attitude just seemed so dangerous to Krystal. It was as if he was on the brink of death. "You mope for the next quarter of your life."

"You don't have to do that," Krystal had heard from Peach about how Roy had confessed her feelings to her. She was disappointed that Peach didn't admit she liked him too. Maybe Peach's attraction to Roy was all an illusion. "Don't become a sad sack, Roy, spending the day moping and listening to sappy music. Find a way to make yourself feel better."

"Krystal, I'm sorry. But you haven't witnessed rejection. You're with the guy you've been crushing on since high school. So please, let me handle my problems in the way I choose." Roy's courteous words came off rather spiteful.

Krystal was tired of everyone thinking her opinion was pointless. She may have not experienced rejection equal to Roy's. But she remembered feeling the same dejection, when she was a little wallflower in high school. She felt the need to say something else.

"Hey Krys! Ready for our next class?" Saria Kokiri exclaimed in a happy voice, while literally skipping to their table. "One more class, then we can relax in dance." Spotting Roy next to Krystal, she quickly waved to him. His wave came much slower, than her own.

"Whatever," The other companion, Malon Romania said heatedly. "I can't ever rest! Every class I go to, I have a problem. Math Analysis, Religious studies, Dance, and this stupid writing class!" She let out an aggravated cry, slamming her paper on the table and surprising Roy and Krystal.

"Every paper I do, sucks! I'm always getting C's. How am I ever going to going to succeed in this world?"

Krystal easily smiled at her dear friend. She loved Malon a lot, but she really knew how to lower her own self esteem. She was always hard on herself in every subject and her life in general. She wished sometimes she would be more positive like Saria.

"Come on Mal-Mal, you have to keep trying," Saria encourage her friend, using her famous nickname. "College isn't an easy ride. It takes a lot of hard work and practice."

"You've said that to me since the very first day we set foot in this school! It's been almost four torturing years and nothing has changed! My papers still suck!" she snapped back.

Roy picked up the paper Malon had slammed onto the table. Krystal observed as Roy's blue eyes quickly scanned the paper for a few seconds. He suddenly chuckled. "I can see why your professor gives you C's. Looks like you have Professor Kong, like me. He can eat you alive with his paper analysis critiques."

Roy stood up and showed the paper to Malon. "The key to scoring an A+ is to use a certain writing technique, called "CEA." In each paragraph, you give a claim, an example, and an analysis. Follow that method, and it's solid A+."

Malon looked at Roy, inspecting his face for assurance. After a second or two, she sighed and took the paper from him. "At this point, I'm willing to try anything." She smiled weakly at Roy. "I just live the mediocre, second-rate, college student life. I'm such a failure at everything I put my hands on."

"Malon," Krystal heard Saria groan behind her, tired of Malon's pessimistic attitude.

Seeing the depressed look on her face, Roy couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for her. "You know, you shouldn't be hard on yourself. If you don't approach everything with the "Yes, I can" attitude, then you're pretty much digging up your own grave."

"I thank you for your concern. But I'm still trash in everyone else's eyes." Malon didn't know why she was confessing all this information to someone she barely even knew. "I'm just seen as an oddball to everyone. I'm rejected from clubs, the weakest performer in dance, and voted 'most likely to live alone with 50 cats'."

"Heh, well that is a real prestigious award," Roy joked. Unfortunately, he was flying solo in his joke. He terminated his chuckling. "I can see I'm not helping. But I'll end by saying this, Malon."

"There's this girl who always talks about how she feels useless in this world. 'Roy, it seems like everyone's out to get me,' she says to me." Reminiscing back, Roy could only smile. "It makes me laugh every time I hear her say that, because she's so blind. She doesn't see the amazing girl that I can see by just looking at her. Hmm?" He paused for a moment, seeing if Malon caught his meaning.

She did, and she wasn't hiding it either. Pink cheeks, seemed to set the mood of how she was feeling. Embarrassed and yet, thankful. Saria and especially Krystal were just as intrigued by Roy's compliment.

Malon cleared her throat, trying to kill the nerves building in her stomach. "Oh, I don't think…"

"I know 'em, when I see 'em," Roy swiftly cut off her retort. His eyes moved from Malon, to Saria, then Krystal, and back again. "All of you girls have something great about yourselves. And if no one learns to accept that, it's their loss."

Krystal just stared at her friend. _I always thought Roy was just Mr. Fun and Games. He didn't pay much attention to others' distress. At least, that's how he used to be. He's really matured. Thanks to Peach in his life, I suppose. _

"Wow, that's really sweet Roy." Saria's sunny smile seemed to beam even more.

Malon nodded. "Yes, thank you. Your friend is really lucky to have you in her life."

"Hmm, I'd like to think that. But as we become more distant, I feel like I was just being used or that I was possibly just "dead weight" in her eyes," Roy replied solemnly. "She doesn't show her concern for my personal feelings."

The smiles on the three girls faded, pondering what he was talking about. Only Krystal knew the answer. She viewed her friend's depression, taking grasp of his body once again. It was like a chain reaction. Whenever Roy would fall, Krystal could feel herself falling as well.

"Heh, I must be boring you with my babbling," Roy bent down to pick up his tray from the table. He picked up the missing cup, and gently placed it on the tray. "I hope you ladies have a good day. Me? I'm going home to take a long, nice, look at my droll life."

"Um…" Saria blinked rapidly, as the red haired male departed from the trio. She then nudged Krystal in her ribs. "He's not one of those crazy, suicidal, loons is he?" she asked in a soft whisper.

"No. You'll have to excuse him," Krystal answered briefly. Her eyes followed Roy until she could no longer see him. _He's just trying to mend his own broken heart._

**Dance Studio (Some Hours Later)**

"Lift, boys! LIFT! Bring in feeling, every time you lift your partners into the air! You are tossing flowers."

Zelda prepared her arms, as she was once again grabbed around the waist. She shot her hands out gracefully, falling in beat with the rising of her body. She felt the sensation of flying, once she was hoisted into the air by her dance partner. On her descent, she made eye contact with her dance partner, Antonio. He gave her a seductive smile, and Zelda only turned her nose upright. She really despised the combination classes with the male dancers.

"Miss Harkinian! No frowns! I want to see graceful smiles! You are as free as a bird!" Madame Leona had eloquently made her way over to Zelda and her partner. "Try to show the joy of freedom, on your face!"

"I'd feel it, if someone wasn't massaging my waist," Zelda hissed, trying to drop the hint to the innocently shrugging Antonio. He may have been a good dancer, but he really lacked the respect for his partners.

"Aww, what's wrong Zelda? Can't seem to work in sync with your partner? Just to let you know, Link and I are working fabulously together!" Saria announced in a loud whisper, as the two female dancers prepared themselves to be lifted once again. "Right, Link?"

"Erm…right, Saria," Link caught a glimpse of Zelda, as he saw her being lifted into the air. He gulped, seeing the famous "death" glare on her face. What was he supposed to do though? Zelda never wanted to pair up with him, so Saria was glad to take her place.

"Well, two idiots can create art I suppose." Zelda felt a shiver run down her spine, as Antonio grabbed at her waist once again. She ignored it, feigning a smile on her face. "If that's what you want to call it anyway."

Malon and Krystal watched the entertainment begin. You could always expect a great show, when Saria and Zelda got into a quarrel. Though focused on Madame Leona's instructions, they waited for the entertainment with anxious eyes.

"Um…Zelda?" Link protested. "Are you angry with me?"

"Gaiden, don't bother me while I'm focusing," Zelda answered, gracefully landing onto the ground once again. She kept the serene smile on her face, without letting her enemies provoke her.

But Link was one persistent enemy. "Come on. Tell me what I did." Saria had placed her body in his hands again. He was grateful for Saria's light weight. He lifted her again, looking up at Zelda. "Is it because I called you Zellie again?"

"Trying to concentrate," Zelda warned him. Her teeth were gritted, but she kept the smile. She couldn't quite remember the reason why she was angry with him. It just felt good to take frustration out on his poor soul. It seemed Antonio, had finally stopped groping her.

"Zelda," Link's desperation to have Zelda talk to him, interested her to no end. She could see worried lines all over his face. "Are you still upset about Impa?"

The imitation smile on the dancer's face disappeared at the sound of Impa's name. She was still in ruins about the subject. "Hmm," She averted her eyes away from the ceaseless, pestering Link.

"Forget her, Link," Saria advised him. "Jealousy suits her perfectly. Observe how she turns red, as you gracefully lift me to the skies," she said in a dreamy tone. As she was lifted once again, Saria shot her arms out beautifully. She then released her bright smile, putting the icing on the cake.

"Ah! Miss Kokiri, Mr. Gaiden. That is simply beautiful! I can feel the unity between you two!" Madame Leona was dazzled by the display before her.

"The unity," Saria's directed her innocent smile towards Zelda, transforming it into an evil smirk. "Hear that, Zelda?" she teased.

As Saria had said, Zelda had turned red with rage. _She doesn't know who she's dealing with! She's just lucky that I'm too exhausted to work at the best of my game._

"_Don't lie to yourself, Zelda. We BOTH know why you're failing to perform well. You're still angry about Impa leaving you all alone," _Zelda's conscience explained to her.

_No, that's not it!_

"_Okay, then it must be because Peach was able to hug Impa, while you were too proud to do so. Correct?" her conscience questioned._

_No, stop bugging me with stupid suggestions! _Zelda retorted back.

She thought she had finally silenced her conscience. But it had found its voice again._"Alright. Should've just stayed with my first thought. You're angry that Link even chose to hug Peach and now he has the audacity to hold Saria in front of you. You want him to hold you and you alone."_

_Yes. Wait…WHAT!? I…I… don't care about stupid Gaiden holding…eh? _Zelda's eyebrows started to curve inwardly in absolute fury. _No. He didn't just do what I think he did._

Zelda lifted one leg forward, setting it in attack mode. "You sick, little, PERVERT!" She swung her leg back quickly, making painful contact with Antonio's open gut. He wailed while removing his hand from caressing Zelda's bottom.

Once he let go of her, Zelda gracefully landed on her two feet. She slapped her hands together in satisfaction. "Hmph!"

Everyone gaped at the scene before them. The other two male dancers had rushed to the wounded Antonio's side. Link and the other female dancers watched the careless Zelda walk away from them. Krystal and Link thought Peach was the only aggressive, scary woman they knew. Perhaps it was a family thing.

"Ah, Antonio." Madame Leona was quite surprised by Zelda's violence. Though secretly, she couldn't help but be proud by Zelda's graceful extension of her leg during her kick. "Well, I can't say you didn't deserve it. Perhaps, now is a good time for us to end the combined dances."

"Yes, Madame Leona." The boys walked towards the exit of the studio, helping the slowly recovering Antonio out the door. Link gazed over at Zelda, who still refused to look in his direction.

"Ze-"

"Miss Harkinian? Could you come here for a moment?" Madame Leona's swift voice silenced Link's call.

Link observed Zelda walk past him again, not shifting her eyes in his direction for a second. It was pointless to talk to her now. He decided to retreat with his dance mates, but he wasn't going to let Zelda get away that easily.

Once Link was out of the room, Madame Leona clasped her hands together. "Miss Harkinian. I am very impressed by how you absorb my dance material, and master the routines with relative ease."

"Of course, Madame. I've learned from the best." Flattering Madame Leona earned Zelda another plus. "I'm confident that my perfection of the routine will make our performance turn out beautifully."

"Um, yes." The string bean instructor's meek voice captured Zelda's attention. She heaved a deep sigh and sat down at her desk. "You see, Miss Harkinian. I'm actually quite distressed about the performance."

"Why's that Madame?" Zelda guessed the only logical reason would be her mediocre classmates.

"Miss Harkinian, you're the first person to know this. But the girls must soon know that I'm dropping someone from the performance." Madame Leona tapped her fingers in rhythmic style. "I'm uncertain about how I should make the announcement."

"Oh, I never would've thought one of the girls would have to be dropped." Mentally however, Zelda couldn't help but laugh gleefully. _Ha, ha. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I can't help but wonder who could it be? I'll give Krystal some credit. It's either has to be that "Leaping Frog" Saria or that "Hopeless Wreck" Malon._

"Though it does seem troublesome, some sacrifices must be made." Zelda tried to sound as sympathetic as she could to avoid the laughter trapped in her throat. "I trust your decisions Madame Leona, and I'm sure the other girls will understand when one of them is cut from the show."

"I'm most certain the ladies will understand whole-heartedly," agreed Madame Leona. "They'll still be taking part in the performance. Miss Harkinian. I'm sorry to announce that you'll be the one I'm dropping from the recital."

Madame Leona looked curiously at Zelda's sudden growth in her eyes. She stumbled a bit and grabbed on to her teacher's desk. "You…you're dropping me?" she said in small voice. "As in me, Zelda Harkinian? From the recital?"

"Yes, Zelda Harkinian. I wish to remove you from the performance. I feel I cannot be anymore clear." There wasn't a sign of humorous play in her teacher's face. Madame Leona was serious.

"Why? You just said you were proud of my mastery of our routine," Zelda's unstable voice squeaked. "How can you drop me?"

"Miss Harkinian. Does this really trouble you? I thought you understood how sacrifices must be made," Madame Leona reminded her.

"Yes. If I wasn't the one being cut!" Zelda slammed her fist, hard against her chest. "It's pretty clear that I'm better than the other three combined! So why am I the weakest link?" The demanding tone in her voice, made Madame Leona frown. "I give my all in each minute I spend here and I'm dropped over those other…"

"Miss Harkinian!" Madame Leona sharply called. Zelda's rant came to a rapid end, from the dominating tone. Her teacher only shook her head at the fuming girl. "Tsk, tsk. I've never seen such rude manners. You didn't even let me finish what I have to say."

_How could I let you finish anything!? You just humiliated me by taking me out of the recital! Saria's going to have a field day with this one. _Zelda decided to listen to her teacher's reasoning.

"Now, I'm not cutting you for lack of skill. In fact, it's quite the opposite," Madame Leona explained. Zelda seemed to gather herself again, as Madame Leona reached into her desk for something. "Such skill shouldn't be wasted on a recital such as this. I feel you'll find more interest, in practicing for this event." Without any further stalling, Madame Leona gave a bright green flyer to Zelda.

Zelda took the paper and examined it quickly. "What's this?"

"That, Miss Zelda, is a flyer for a very prestigious dancing event. It's Nintendo's Annual Dance Competition, hosted by…"

"Some old dance goon. Randy Jacobs or whatever." Zelda's lack of interest wasn't covered.

"Randall Jameson, you mean," Madame Leona corrected her. "I see you've heard of this contest then. Here's the thing Miss Harkinian. I've never felt anyone from my dance classes could represent Nintendo. But you, I feel you can finally bring the gold home."

"Madame Leona. As flattered as I am to hear you recognize my talent, I cannot see myself participating in such a competition. It won't benefit me whatsoever. It will only add another trophy to my collection."

"I'd think this would be a good reason alone to participate, " Her teacher commented.

"Yes, but I can collect trophies at any time. To be perfectly honest, I'd rather be in the recital than take part in something as pointless as this," Zelda confidently admitted.

"I would say the same answer, if it wasn't for the special guest at the competition," She didn't take her flyer back from Zelda. "You might have heard of her. The phenomenal woman has performed a beautiful tribute to John Keats' poetry. She's received countless awards. Miss…"

"Lana Louffet," Zelda finished. The paper was trembling in her hands. "The best dancer in the world. The only time she ever goes to dance competitions is to recruit new potential dancers for her dance institute in Wii City," she absentmindedly elaborated.

Madame Leona laughed. "My, my, my. It seems you can read Miss Louffet's life like a tome. If this isn't reason enough to participate, Miss Harkinian, I don't know what else I could say. Reading over your information, I remember you distinctly writing she's your role model."

She continued on, seeing Zelda was still mesmerized. "I can tell you are fairly becoming tired of waiting on the other ladies to catch up with you. I wouldn't like my time to be wasted either. Perhaps by entering the event, it will keep you preoccupied while I work with them. And if you're lucky, you'll get a chance to work with a highly advanced teacher."

"I…" What could Zelda say? This kind of opportunity was always dreamed of, but she never expected it to come so soon. To be taught by her idol would be one of the biggest accomplishments in her life. She would become a legend for sure, and then no one could ever think otherwise.

"As mentioned, you being cut from the recital, will give you time to prepare for the competition. I'm sure your dance mates will understand," Madame Leona assured her. "So, will you be taking part in this spectacular event?"

Then, there was the other thing. If Zelda participated in the dance competition and was taken in by Lana Louffet, she was going to be taken away from this wonderful life she had in Nintendo. A familiar smile curved onto the dancer's lips. What was she waiting for? Getting away from these annoying Nintendo citizens would be the best thing to ever happen to her.

"Madame Leona," Zelda clutched the paper tightly in her hands. Fantasies of dancing along with Lana Louffet started to skip around in her head. "Nothing in the world would make me happier."

**End of Chapter**

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_**A/N:** I'll admit. This chapter wasn't as exciting as the past three. But it's time for new plots to be born, which means foreshadow chapters must be done. Let's see, if I count correctly. I've shown about 3 upcoming plots, if you read it attentively. Plus, a couple more plot builds in the next chapter. But even though this chapter was mainly informative, I enjoyed writing it. It had some fun scenes to write, believe it or not. And I added two more smashers into the story if anyone noticed. One of them is obvious, the other may not be because I didn't say their whole name. But do not worry, you'll get to meet him/her again later._

_Anywho, thanks for reading and please review! See you again sometime!_

_**Royal Kenya**_


	21. Chapter Twenty

_Hi everyone! I don't even know what to say except once again, sorry for my late updates. I really wanted to focus on my last quarter in college and it really paid off. My grades were very awesome! But now, it's game time with MSIY. Let's work this puppy! (Yeah, don't know why I said that either) Oh thanks to the people who fave'd/alert'd this fic last chapter and reviewers, you rock my world!_

_**Small Announcement:** Because of my slow updates, I have noticed that some information from earlier chapters about the characters may have been forgotten. So for your convenience, I made a broad character bio sheet for all the main/secondary characters. The link is on my profile, can't miss it (For those who have already seen it, thanks for viewing it though!)_

_Okay, please enjoy the next chapter. Any mistakes or concerns, please feel free to let me know!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

CLICK!

"Beautiful! Gem loves 'eet!"

Peach didn't know what was more disturbing. Maybe it was the fact that she was wearing a very uncomfortable, skin-tight, black leather cat suit. The outfit basically covered only her breasts and barely her rear. However, this was nothing compared to her first nude photo shoot.

"Okay, ladies! Move 'een again!"

Peach groaned. Or maybe because she was taking a combined photo shoot with her topless, model agent, Gem. Topless males never bothered Peach in the past. But there were limits when you were a 37-year-old man with an extremely hairy chest.

"Ugh, do we have to?" Daisy Marigold was suffering the same humiliation as Peach. She rolled her eyes and placed her hands once again on Gem's shoulders, along with Peach. She moved in quickly towards head.

Peach mimicked the same gesture except she faced the camera, bearing her false fangs. Set for the Halloween mood, she and Daisy were mimicking vampires, ready to feast on their prey. This prey happened to be Gem.

"Good…turnin' out great, Gem." Luigi was on one knee, taking the photos. His words were sincere, but the girls couldn't help but smile a bit. Luigi's sarcasm was evident by the silent gagging gestures he was making at the girls.

"Fabulous! Now, Gem…he wants new…fresh…" He turned to Peach and then to Daisy. "Pretend to bite Gem's neck."

Peach looked over at Daisy who only rolled her eyes. Peach moved in a bit closer to his neck. The fumes from Gem's strong baby oil (or snail trail as Daisy called it,) filled Peach's lungs, making her want to faint on the spot. Ignoring the smell, she revealed her bloody fangs again.

"Yes! Yes, Gem loves it!" The modeling agent exclaimed, as Luigi's camera flashed again.

Daisy made a hissing noise, trying to sound as scary as she could. Her blood-red eyes and pale face turned into a vicious demeanor. Another flash appeared in the models faces.

"Yes! Gem…'ees…FEELIN' 'EET!" Without warning, he suddenly pushed Peach and Daisy away from him, causing them to scream a bit in surprise. "Go, go, go! Gem needs some camera time!"

Daisy caught Peach's arm to stop her from falling on her face. She rolled her eyes. "Oh lordie, there he goes again."

Peach looked at Gem, who was now busy flaunting off sexy poses with his chest. Disbelief invaded her face. "I thought he was more proud of our shoot and not himself. Does this always happen?"

"If you got a camera, Jimmie boy will make sure he's the center of attention." Daisy shook her head. "Such a sad case. Oh well, means we got a break for the next thirty minutes," she joked.

Peach's right hand rose to her face. It was covered in some of the glacy oil that Gem had rubbed on his chest. "Yeah, but I think I need some hand sanitizer. My hands are traumatized from this shoot."

"Girl, ain't that the truth though? The man rubs corn syrup all over his chest. I'm going to get some water," Daisy waved before heading off in her own direction.

Peach on the other hand, ventured over to another person. A smile appeared on her face when she saw Falcon sucked into a magazine. "Having fun?" Peach called.

His eyes darted up to his girlfriend. "Oh, about as much fun as you had touching that man's chest," he replied.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I hated that." Memories of touching Gem on his hairy chest made Peach want to gag in her mouth all over again. "One. It was WAY too hairy. Two. Who shaves their own chest hairs to make it resemble a gem?"

Falcon gently grabbed her hand and led her right to his lap. She gratefully took the seat and accepted his brief kiss on her lips. "Feel better?" he asked softly.

"Slightly." Falcon kissed her again on the lips and then dipped her body back a bit and kissed her more playfully, making her laugh. "Okay, okay! I'm good, I promise!" Her voice was breaking in a chorus of giggles.

"Hehe, good." He lifted her back up into a sitting position. "So, I was checking out Gem's fall magazine. A nude photo shoot, huh?

"I can't believe you looked at that." Peach blushed. "I was so embarrassed when I took that photo."

"Well, it brought out the sexy aspects of your body perfectly…hey!" He rubbed his arm when Peach punched him. "But all kidding aside, you look beautiful in the photo. Even in all this Vampire make-up," he added, referring to Peach's powered face and dark red lipstick and fangs.

"Fank you very mawch," Peach said in her best Dracula impression. Using her free hand, she twirled a finger through her frizzy hair. "But don't get used to this look. I feel like I'm a Drag queen. Anyway, I'm glad you could come to see me at work."

"Hey. I owe you, Blondie. You come to my races, so I should come and see you working the bod."

"Mm-hmm. But I won't be able to support you at your next race," Peach commented sadly. She averted her eyes away from him. "I can't believe you're leaving tonight to head to Wii for the next few days. Leaving me by myself."

"Don't give me that sad look. I'll be back in the evening on Friday and then we can look forward to going to Sam's concert on Saturday." He placed a hand under's Peach's chin, drawing her face back to his."When you hang out with your friends, you won't even think about me."

"I could never forget you," Peach answered softly." But it would be nice to hang out with my friends. I don't even remember the last time we did something together."

"I see." Only one certain friend came to Falcon's mind. "So, how is your friend Roy? I haven't seen him often in these past couple of weeks." He knew the answer to his own question. But he just loved to hear it from Peach time after time.

"Actually, I thought he'd be a bit worried with you hanging around now. But, I didn't expect anything less from my best friend 's just his normal, goofy self."

_And let's keep it that way, Red. You keep your distance, and we won't have to go through anymore mishaps concerning Peach. _Falcon stared at his hand in Peach's. He had what he wanted. Peach was with him. But he still had to keep an eye on Roy. Falcon had to admit. Roy was a true friend to keep Peach from knowing the truth. The racer was well aware of Roy becoming depressed from Peach's decision to go out with him. The smug glares from the redhead to Falcon made this obvious.

Falcon sighed before pulling Peach closer to him. And strangely, he wasn't hurt in the least by his actions. _If Red knows how to bounce back, he should be over it in no time. I haven't done anything to the guy, so he has no dirt on me. Unless Marth told him about…he better not have. If anyone ever found that out._

"You….you said Jim! No no NO! 'Eets Gem, you kumquat! Aah!"

Gem's sudden rampage caught the couple's attention. He suddenly began spinning around like a mad man and kicked over the nearest lamppost! "Get 'eet right!"

Gem's breathing echoed throughout the whole room. The employees ceased their daily jobs and stared at their boss in absolute silence. Gem paid no heed to their staring and casually slung his buttoned shirt over his shoulder. "Ugh…zee's migraines. Gem will be 'een his office."

"Heh, wow." Falcon's gaze fell back on his girlfriend. "Beautiful, I think your modeling career is going to be one heck of a ride."

"Mm-hmm." Peach joined him in his laughter, while watching Gem push one of his models out of his walking space. She pushed herself off his lap. "I better let you go check in with your family before you head out."

"But seriously, I really do thank you for coming. I'll admit you have your selfish racer moments, but you know how to keep your girl happy." She ended her statement with a kiss on his cheek.

Of course this made Falcon grin even wider. "Where Falckie's needed, he'll be," he remarked. _After all, can't leave any open space for Red to get a second chance. Sorry Roy, but I got this relationship signed and sealed._

**Nintendo Fine Arts College**

"Krystal, can you help me out?"

"Coming, Malon." Krystal picked up her pace and pushed open one of the double iron doors. She held it back and let her red-haired friend walk outside. "I got the door."

"Thanks," Malon thanked her before walking out with her hands full of textbooks. The books in her hands started to fall forward and the first one fell off. "Oops. Hee, hee. I didn't know learning would weigh so much!"

Krystal picked up the fallen textbook and secured it safely in her arms. "Neither did I. What are all these books for anyway? Do we have a mid-term I should know about?"

"Oh no. I'm just checking out a few books on writing essays. I'm really determined to do a lot better than I have been doing. Hopefully, I have enough energy to read these books after such an intense dance class."

"Yeah. It was a real workout. But you surprised me today, Mal."You were like a dancing queen, and even Madame Leona complimented you. You must have been really excited."

"Thanks, Krys." She shrugged and shifted her weight onto her left foot. "I just had this sudden burst of confidence. I was determined to do the routine right today because I knew there was something spectacular about myself."

"Hmm? Roy's advice helped you I guess?" her friend questioned.

"In a sense," Malon responded. "I guess he really made me feel special and unique. You know, not useless like my father's partner, Ingo, calls me."

"Mmm…" Krystal had heard stories about Ingo and he was someone she never wanted to meet. She wished Malon would just come and move into the hostel with the rest of her friends. But Malon refused to leave her father. Krystal smiled to herself. "Roy. He just has this way of making everyone happy. It's like he can't stand to be around depressed people."

"I wouldn't think that by the way he was acting today." Malon started to recall Roy's mood earlier at lunch. "He looked so sad. What could have made him so depressed?"

"He's just going through a rough time. A girl he really likes didn't feel the same about him. Um…you don't know her." Krystal added the last part before Malon could ask. She didn't want Peach to be viewed as a heartless woman.

"Ugh, I've been there." Malon's face fell into a repulsive manner. "I just can't believe it. Who would turn down someone like Roy? They must be out of their mind. He's such a sweet guy."

Krystal's ears twitched from her friend's words. "…um, Malon? You think Roy is a sweet guy?" She echoed her phrase perfectly.

"Huh?" Malon blushed fiercely, realizing she had said her thoughts out loud. She turned from her. "Erm…no…of course not! Well…yes…but I mean it was sweet for him to say that…uh…that's all!" She nervously ran a hand through her hair. "Krys, didn't you think so?"

"Yes, I did. But…"

"But that's just it!" Malon quickly intercepted. "Nothing else."

"Um…okay?" Krystal hugged the textbooks in her arms. "Sorry."

Malon apologetically bowed her head to her friend. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get jumpy like that. I just thought you were going to assume that I was starting to…well, like him. But that's impossible since I've never really talked to him."

"Well…" Krystal knew well that love at first sight was possible. But she decided to keep her thoughts to herself. "You're right. Not possible at all."

"Yeah, that would be just silly. Anyway." Malon took the book from Krystal's arms and put it back on her own stack. "I better get going. I have to help my dad back at the ranch. I'll see you tomorrow in class, m'kay?"

"Definitely. See ya, Mal!" Krystal tried to wave, but Malon was already walking away at a high speed. _No feelings for Roy? Please. Wouldn't it be crazy if they… wait…no…what am I saying? Malon would…but we're dealing with Roy here. His mind is set on Peach and her alone. But I wonder how long he's willing to wait for her?_

She turned to her left a bit to see a familiar boyfriend. Krystal's heart leapt with joy. _I'll have to contemplate about that later. Someone else needs my attention at the moment._

"Krys!" Fox was sprinting over to her, a stunning grin on his face.

Krystal shot her hand up. "Hey! What's…aah, ha, ha!" Her words were lost when Fox sped up to her and picked her up. She giggled when he kissed her on the cheek and spun her around. "Nice to see you too! What's going on?"

"Great news! You're not going to believe this!" Fox never looked so exhilarated. He hugged Krystal tightly and twirled her around one more time, before setting her down gently. "I never thought it would happen!"

"Fox, tell me!" Krystal was still laughing. "What's the big news?" Not too far away, Krystal spotted Falco Lombardi running their way. She waved at him with her free hand. "Hey, Falco!"

"Yo, Krys!" He skidded to a halt in front of them. He grinned at Fox, looking just about as excited as his buddy. "Did you tell her yet?"

"Okay. You two have me anxious to know now. What happened?" Krystal asked once again.

Fox grabbed her hands. "Okay. You remember those try-outs for a brand-new piloting team, right?" Seeing Krystal nod, he continued, "Well…me, Falco, Slippy, and my mentor, Peppy…we're the new team! And I'm the leader of our crew!"

Krystal felt her hands weakening in Fox's own. "…you are?" Her excitement was slowly dissipating from her face. But she kept her smile to hide her disappointment."You really got the spot?"

Falco groaned. "Personally, I'm not excited about ole Foxie here leading the team. But better him than Peppy callin' the shots."

Fox laughed with his feathered friend. He turned his eyes back to Krystal. "We just got the message today and we start training right away. Soon we're going to be flying the skies and taking care of business in Corneria and…"

"Corneria?" Krystal echoed. She looked at both Falco and Fox as if they had lost their minds. "Isn't that place in the middle of the war zone? There are troops there fighting the Aparoid race right now. That's dangerous, isn't it?"

She shuddered as she thought about something. "Fox. Are you going to be taking part in the war?"

Fox could see her fear for her own question. "Oh no. Not us, Krystal. As much as I want to help retrieve my hometown, we're just too inexperienced. We're just bringing in supplies," Fox informed her.

"In other words, Fox is the leader of a bunch of delivery boys. Hip, hip, hoorah…" Falco sarcastically twirled one of his talons in the air. "I hate being denied of my skills."

"Your skills? Please, you still have a lot to learn." Fox joked, only to get a sketchy look from Falco. "Regardless, dude. We're going to be the best. Most importantly, we're going to put Wolf O'Donnell's team to rest."

"Yep, he can't touch this team!" Falco added before high-fiving Fox.

Krystal's smile was officially gone. Good news? Not in the least. _This is the last thing I want to hear. It's too risky for him to be near the Aparoids. He told me he wasn't going to do anything foolish. What does he call this?_

She watched the boys start talking about Wolf O'Donnell. She remembered Wolf being the leader of Team StarWolf. _He's one of the best team leaders I've ever seen. They've won so many awards, but they can be ruthless. Why does Fox want to do this to himself…and to me? _

Krystal glumly shook her head. _I'm sorry. But I can't be anything except scared for your achievement._

Fox noticed the empty look on Krystal's face and took that moment to bring her close to him. He grinned at her, oblivious to her emotional pain. "So, how does it feel to be dating a team leader?"

What was she supposed to say? She knew what the truthful answer was. She finally returned his embrace and put on her best smile. "It feels great, Fox." He gave her a brief kiss, before ridiculing Falco for mocking their affection. Krystal sighed once again. _Feels just great._

**Music Studio**

"C…B…_la_…_sol_…okay, that's right." Samus pulled her bright orange pencil out of her pony-tailed hair and proceeded in scribbling down answers on her paper. She was almost done with the music theory homework set in front of her. She leaned forward in her chair while she happily wrote down the letters. "One more page and then I'm home free."

Just as she turned the page, her phone started to hum her ringtone. She took a small glance at the phone, realizing she had a text. Opening the text, she felt a giggle escape her lips.

"_There was an ice-cream cone melting in the street. It made me think of you."_

_Marth, you are so cheesy._ Samus thought to herself, before preparing to respond to the text. But the cell phone slipped away from her hands and started to float in front of her. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Mewtwo…I wasn't going to text him back." She faced him agitatedly.

"Can you honestly say that while looking me straight in the eye?" Mewtwo challenged her by demonstrating the piercing stare of his amethyst eyes.

Samus lowered her eyes, knowing victory was on Mewtwo's side. "You're supposed to be the cool one, Mewtwo."

Her cell phone levitated over towards him, and another book came soaring her way. Once it was close enough, Samus let the book drop in her hands.

"Come on." Frustrated marks appeared on the blonde's face."My dad wants me to do whole 'nother book?"

Mewtwo only shrugged. "I wish I could be of more help in answering your frustration. But I only deliver them."

"I already know what he'd say anyway," Samus furrowed her brows, mimicking her father's face. She wagged her finger in a scolding manner. "Sam." She lowered her voice as low as she could. "I'm just trying to be as much help to your singing career as possible. The more you practice reading music, the faster you'll get to learning new songs. Not to mention, the faster you'll get to fame."

Her cat-like guardian chuckled. "A nice impression of your father."

"I've been practicing." Samus opened the second theory book. "Is he still in his office with Ganondorf?"

Mewtwo nodded before approaching Samus at her side. "Ganondorf is still in the process of fighting for his job back. But your father is a firm man. I'm guessing this is the reason why you retreated to the top floor of the building."

Samus nodded. She really didn't want to be near her father at the moment, nor Ganondorf.

"You know it isn't your fault, right?" Mewtwo questioned her.

"I keep telling myself that. But Ganondorf is out of a job because I'm back together with Marth. There's no need for a morning bodyguard anymore." Samus raised her eyes to Mewtwo's. "At least you were able to keep your job."

Mewtwo nodded. "Your father couldn't afford to let me stop watching you. After all, who else would keep an eye on the shenanigans you and your boyfriend would get into?"

Samus frowned. "Hey, we're a clean couple. I guess I just have to look at the bright side of things. If he's letting someone as tough as Ganondorf go, then he must trust me enough to be alone with my boyfriend."

"But you appear to be at a double-edged sword. While you do get to continue your love life with Marth, your father still wins by keeping you busy. With things such as concerts and these books."

"It's fine. I don't mind taking part in the concerts," Samus assured him. "Singing works like a double reward for me. I get to love my job, while keeping the fam together with my singing," she elaborated clearly.

"Do you honestly like living the life you lead right now?" Mewtwo asked. "You have to please your father and the same with Marth. What about yourself? Isn't there something else you would rather do with your life?"

Samus blankly stared over at Mewtwo. "For a moment I thought I was talking to my mother. You two need to understand that I'm fine with the way my life is. There's nothing wrong with doing whatever I can to keep my family perfect and my boyfriend close to me. Even if sacrifices have to be made."

"So in short, you're saying this: as long as they're happy, you're fine with this stressful life?" His only answer was Samus' movement of her head affirmatively. He shifted his eyes to the sky, wondering how Samus became this naïve. "I can understand your reasoning, Samus. But, I still wish you to keep any eye on things. Make sure you can trust those around you."

"Huh?" The singer turned once more. "I guess that's true. Marth tells me all the time, that he doesn't think our fathers can be trusted. Though, I want to believe…"

"No, I mean Marth as well," Mewtwo explained. He noticed the appalled look on Samus' face. (Not that he wasn't expecting it.) "As surprising as this comes across, I feel you should be vigilant when it comes to your boyfriend as well."

"Why?"

"Love is a very complicated thing, Samus. In order for it to be true love, it's best that love is being shown from both sides. In other words, I'm hoping your father and Marth are looking out for you as well and not just for themselves."

"I…that's…that's just silly," Samus stammered. Although she could let the words slip out of her mouth, she knew she was only trying to perish the thought. Never…never…never. Not two people she held dear to her heart.

Mewtwo looked over at the troubled singer. He knew he had struck a nerve as he had planned. Just as Mrs. Aran had wished, she wanted her daughter to start thinking logically.

Mewtwo sighed and closed his eyes. In less than a couple seconds, Samus observed her theory book and pencil levitate in Mewtwo's direction. The Pokémon opened his eyes once the book was in front of him. "Take a break. I can have these finished by the time you get back."

Samus eyed Mewtwo for a moment, before nodding sincerely. "Thank you. I guess you are the cool one, Mewtwo."

"Which has been nationally claimed," Mewtwo stated with a smile. Samus walked over to him and watched his pencil put in the answers. "Go ahead. Return in five minutes."

She silently walked away, not wanting to break the Pokémon's concentration. Once far enough away and out the door, she sighed once again. Mewtwo knew how to get the singer thinking. One of his better talents besides being the Mr. Know-it-all.

But this couldn't possibly stick to her mind if there wasn't any relevance to it. The thought of her father and boyfriend being that conniving. _Well, they both do try to pull the wool over my eyes. My dad tries to separate me and Marth. And Marth…he can be secretive. He never tells me about anything until it's too late. Like last time…_

Samus shivered when she remembered Marth's problem with alcohol. _Before leaving for France, he had to finish his studies at college in less than 2 years. He was overstressed and turned to drinking to ease his breakdowns. He didn't tell me a single thing about his drinking. And then…I found out another way._

SLAM!

"Ah," Samus cried. She looked to see Ganondorf was leaving Mr. Aran's office. Shivers swiveled down her spine as she saw the furious look on his face. His aggression was pushed further by slamming his fist into the nearest wall. She could've sworn she saw a dent form. _I should say something. Even though he was always an "in your face" kind of guy, he always did get the job done. _She closed her eyes for a second, readying herself.

"So, Samus." Ganondorf spotted her before she could get her words out. He walked slowly over to her, an angered look evident by his furrowed brows. "I'm sure you're happy that I've lost my job. Planning a celebration party?"

"Listen, Ganon," Samus gulped. She wasn't feeling the least bit comfortable. "I...I didn't want you to lose your job. Honestly. I never expected…"

"Cut the bull, Samus! Don't play the innocent card with me. You know getting back with that idiotic boyfriend of yours would be the end of my job. Like you said, people were scared to talk to you with me around."

"Please understand. I didn't know Marth was going to come back in my life. We just happened to make up and…"

"All planned!" Ganondorf snapped. Samus took a step back when he took one forward. She was always the spectator of the vigilante's rage, never the victim. "Your father fires a lot of people just for you! Just like that Jean kid's father. Because you couldn't stand how Jean wasn't anything like Marth!"

"Now, hold it!" Samus found her strong voice. "Jean's father's unemployment has nothing to do with me."

"Of course not! It has everything to with Marth coming back to town," Ganondorf corrected himself. Growing tired of looking at Samus, he walked past her, ramming his elbow hard into her side. "I knew we should've dealt with that boy when we had the chance. "

Samus froze in place. Her right eye followed Ganondorf's trail to the nearest exit. "What did you just say?" He only looked at Samus with an evil grin on his face, making Samus even more curious. "Deal with whom? Are you talking about Marth?"

"Oh my." Ganondorf placed his gloved hand on his chest. "Has your boyfriend not told you about what happened to him some time ago? I'd figured you would have known from the scars and bruises on his body."

It didn't take long for Samus to connect with what Ganondorf was talking about. But what was he trying to imply? "He told me what happened. Mugged…by thugs… they wanted money for drugs."

"Wow…fascinating. Hmm, I guess you could say he was mugged. But I wouldn't say they were random thugs. They knew why they were there and what their aim was when attacking your boyfriend that night."

"You didn't. You're the one who attacked him, aren't you?" Her eyes grew in size when the man shamelessly nodded. "What the heck is wrong with you! He could have died and you're proud of yourself!" Samus shouted at him.

"Of course. Why else hit him with a pole and a couple trashcans? Hmm, maybe we should have used a sledgehammer. Mm, whatever one spews more blood." Ganondorf scratched his chin. He knew he was angering Samus. But what did it matter to him anyway? "What do you think, Samus? Were the bruises too small?"

Samus couldn't loathe her old guard anymore than she did now."You're...you're evil. Just sick in the head." She didn't know what to do. But she couldn't help but wonder another thing. Why didn't Marth tell her about this? Mewtwo's words started to play back in her head. "I don't know what possessed you and your thug of a friend to do something like that…"

"Well, you know my ole buddy. That guy just has hatred for Marth. But what else would you expect from an overprotective brother?"

And it was out, just how Ganondorf had planned. He couldn't help but snicker at the shocked look on Samus' face. What could make this moment better? His answer came when he looked over his shoulder. "And speak of the devil."

"Yo, Ganon! Hey, Sam!"

Samus took a step to the left to and spotted her brother walking towards her. Falcon was running a comb through his chestnut brown hair.

Falcon smiled at his younger sister. "Is mom around? I needed to talk to her before I head..." His voice faded when he saw the look on Samus' face. It was anything but warm and inviting. "Sam? What's up?" he asked, trying to approach her.

"How could you?" Samus monotonously asked. She stalked over to her brother, pushing Ganondorf out of her way. She stood at a safe distance. "I know you hate him. But you pushed your hatred far enough to severely hurt him."

"Hurt him? Who are you talking abou-" He was interrupted by Ganondorf's eruptive cackling. The dilemma finally hit Falcon square in the head. The truth was revealed and he knew without a doubt that Ganondorf was the blabber. As much as he wanted throttle him, he had to deal with his sister.

"Samus, look I can explain," Falcon started.

"Explain what!" She snapped. "That I can't have a boyfriend unless there's money in it? You beat him up and I was put in so much guilt because of what happened. And now to find out that you were the cause of his injuries..."

"Samus! You didn't even care about him back then!" Falcon retaliated. "You said he was just a figment of your…"

"Would you just stop saying that?" Samus interrupted him. "You must have figured out by now that I have always care about him! Even during those rough two years!"

"Samus," Her brother calmly called this time. The last thing he wanted to do was push his sister more off the handle than she already was. "You know I only do these things because I care. I'm keeping an eye out for you, Sam. You don't know what I've seen in my life."

"Let me guess. You went through a lot of rough times growing up?" She glared at him. "You've lived a comfy life just like me. Just quit trying to get sympathy and just admit that you're a selfish, greedy, jerk!"

It was like Samus had just shot him directly in heart. She wasn't even listening to what he had to say. He wished his sister would understand where he was coming from. "Sam."

"Just leave. Or better yet, I'll leave." Samus flipped around from her brother, ready to take off. However, Falcon took a hold of her arm. She looked at him, warning him to let go immediately.

But Falcon held his grip hard. He stared angrily into Samus' eyes. "So, what are you going to do? Planning on telling Mom and Dad about this? The Lowell family too?" he asked her.

"Mm!" Samus grunted when she finally pulled her arm away. "You know what? No. I'm not going to tell them." She nodded, satisfied with her answer. "You heard me," she referred to her brother's dropped jaw. "I'm not going to say a single thing about this. We're just going to let this slide and we're going to forget it ever happened."

"Samus." As glad as he was to hear this from Samus, he was surprised that she let him off the hook. He looked over at Ganondorf who was just as astonished as he was.

However, Samus knew exactly why she wasn't going to say anything. She could only think about what was going to happen to her family if they knew. But a certain friend of hers needed to hear this tale. "Nevertheless, I want you tell Peach about this."

"W-what?" Falcon stammered. "Sam, you've got to be kidding me. You want me to tell Peach?" He would rather his family know than his own girlfriend.

"I promised Peach she was dating a great guy. I told her you were trustworthy and honest. And if there was anything you were hiding from her," She poked her brother hard on the chest. "…you would tell her. If you don't say anything, I'll tell her the truth and make her break up with you. You're not going to make her life miserable."

"And what makes you think she'll understand when I tell her?" Falcon challenged her. "You really think she'll be jumping for joy when she finds out that I beat up her best friend's good buddy? I don't see that happening."

"Whatever the case, Peach will find out from you or either me. Take your pick." Samus' voice had a dark sinister tone to it. It was as if she knew the right choice, and was daring him to pick the wrong one. "I'm not going to let her be kept in any lies by someone I thought I could trust," Samus added smugly, reminding him of his crime.

Tough as Falcon was, he knew how talented Samus was at weakening him. It was easy for her to point out his wrongdoings and make him feel sorry. "Believe me, Samus. I understand how you're feeling. But I had my reasons and…"

"Please," Samus pleaded softly. "Don't make me even angrier at you than I already am. Just drive safely to Wii. Don't look for a call on racing day." She spun away from her brother and headed in the direction of the elevator.

How he wanted to go after his sister, but he wasn't going to leave without saying a word to Ganon. "Why'd you tell her?"

"I lost my damn job. Why the hell should I hold anything else in? No one says I have to keep secrets so you can still have your sister on your side." Ganondorf folded his arms over his chest. "Personally, I don't know what the problem is. With your sister hating you, you have a right to do what you want to that Marth kid without feeling any remorse. That's how I'd take it."

"Not everyone's like you, Ganon. I'll never warm up to Lowell. But I'd hate my sister to become even angrier at me." _Half-sister or not, she still has half of her blood connected with mine. Meaning, I do care if she's mad at me. Man…she didn't even give me a chance to explain. She's set on thinking my mind is only on money. But there's more to it._

Ganondorf carelessly spat on the floor. "Meh…whatever. Goddesses know I'm glad I was an only child with a dead-beat father and deceased mother. Too much love can break you." He smirked at Falcon. "So, how long are you going to be angry with what I did?"

"I don't get mad over bull like that," Falcon countered. "I had doubt we were going to get far with that lie anyway. Nothing's going to change no matter how much Sam wants it to. Lowell isn't good for her. And somehow, someway, he's gonna be out of Samus' life."

**Deku Tavern**

"We can sit you right here, Miss."

"Thank you." Zelda Harkinian sat down in the small green booth. She let out a deep sigh while sinking into the cushioned seat. "Water, please."

"Coming up!" her female waitress said. As she walked away, Zelda took this time to pull out a familiar and bright-green flyer.

_I'm really holding this…I can't believe it...the one thing that'll get me one step closer to my goal._

Zelda read the bright green flyer once again. **Nintendo Dance Competition. Guest Appearance Lana Louffet.** Zelda couldn't even remember the last time she held such an opportunity in her hands. This was Lana Louffet!

There was no way she was going to let this competition commence without her being a part of it. If anyone deserved to be admitted into the Lana's Dance Institute in Wii, it was her and her alone. She could just imagine what would happen once she won. Lana Louffet will approach her and give her the gold trophy. But the greatest gift will be the words she would say out of her mouth: _"Zelda Harkinian, I would be honored if you joined my Dance Institute in Wii."_

_And of course I would say yes. This is just too perfect. _Zelda couldn't help but smile even more confidently. But her fantasy was quickly interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She inspected the name on the phone.

_H.A.R.K Guards_

Her new caretakers had called her phone. She could never get over the name of their team. But her father had picked the name and loved it. Besides making sure her home was fully stocked, the guards were responsible for taking and picking her up from school. She sighed and picked up the phone. "Yes?"

"_Miss Zelda? Would you like us to pick you up now?"_

"Mm…" Zelda Harkinian looked out the window. It was already 6:30pm and the sky was a faint orange color. She sighed. It was now or never. "Come in about 15 or so minutes. I'm still getting my stuff together."

"_Yes, Miss. Understood."_ The phone clicked over without a single farewell. Not that Zelda was expecting anything more from her own protection. A quick phone call was all that was necessary.

She wasn't exactly sure why she delayed her caretakers. She was extremely tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep in her nice, warm bed. But the thought of taking that silent drive home and then returning to that empty apartment made her bones jitter. She wasn't going to lie; she wasn't so sure about being home alone for next few months. Without Impa, that is.

Zelda avoided going home for now, but she would have to go sooner or later. Until then, what was she going to do?

"Excuse me. Miss?" Her waitress had returned to her side. She set the glass of water on the table. "The rest of your dinner party has arrived."

"Dinner party? I don't have a…" She swallowed her words when she saw Link Gaiden appear behind the waitress with his despised grin on his face. "Mmm…" she shifted her eyes to the ground.

"Do we all _know _each other?"

"Unfortunately yes," Zelda muttered under her breath.

"Yes, we do. Thanks for the table." Link nodded to the waitress before sitting down. "Wow, doesn't this remind you of our little date a couple weeks ago?"

Zelda finally looked up from the ground. "Okay, first off. Not a date. I was forced to go by a stupid bet, remember?"

"Yes, a bet you easily lost," Link laughed. However, it was cut short when he saw the dancer's stone-hard glare. "Heh, heh, sorry. I'm just…"

"And second, what are you doing here?" Zelda interrupted. "I thought we strictly decided to have only one encounter a day. You're breaking the contract."

"I have my reasons. Do you not remember how you ignored me in dance earlier?" Link asked. The sudden change in her face, indicated she remembered. "I just want to know what's wrong. But I'm guessing you're still trying to cope with Impa leaving so suddenly."

"Oh really?" Zelda scoffed. "I'm actually taking that quite well. I said it once and I'll say it again. I'm a nineteen year old, independent woman who knows how to take care of herself."

"I didn't necessarily say you miss her because she takes care of you. But I meant you miss the friendship you have with her. You won't be able to go home to tell her how your day went and stuff," Link explained.

"Believe it or not, Gaiden. I can deal with keeping my day to myself. Besides, that's what telephones are for. I'm perfectly fine." _Liar, liar. You miss Impa like crazy and you've never felt so lonely! _Zelda's conscience had found its voice once again.

Link smiled. "I won't argue with you. I mean you must be okay with being alone since you're planning on participating in that Nintendo Dance Competition. Krystal told me all about it."

"Did she now?" It was time for her bragging moment. She flipped her hair out of her face. "Madame Leona has always seen a prodigy within me. So of course I was going to be the one to get the opportunity. Best thing about it, I have a chance to get away from this stupid city!"

"Aww…you can't be serious. The lovely Nintendo City hasn't grown on you yet?"

"With people like you around here? Not a chance." Feeling her throat becoming dry, she took a sip of her water and set it down once again. "Besides, my parents and even Impa would want me to go. And whatever helps out my father as a senator, I'm willing to do it."

"Mmm….well if that's what you wish. Then good luck to you, Miss Harkinian." He slyly smirked at her. "But just to let you know. I think you're going to come to a standstill when you enter yourself into the competition."

Zelda gasped, slightly offended by the man's words. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean? Do you think I'm going to have second thoughts when I try out for the competition?

Link surprisingly leaned forward, edging closer to Zelda's face. The heiress felt a familiar wave of warmth attack her face. "I didn't say that exactly, but that is a possibility. You'll see what I mean sooner than you think."

"…" Zelda only rolled her eyes when Link winked at her. "Gaiden, you're one in a million."

Her words were taken in by Link without any shame. "Aren't I though?"

"Here you go, Link. I thought you might want some water as well." A new waitress appraoched the table and gently placed his water on the counter.

"Sweet. Thanks, Mrs. Kokiri," Link thanked her.

"Mrs. Kokiri?" Zelda peered hard at their waitress and her eyes rose in size. The woman had long green hair pulled into a side ponytail and a blue headband on top of her head. Her blue eyes were similar to those of her rival classmate, Saria. "You're Saria's mother?"

Mrs. Kokiri smiled sweetly. "Mm-hmm. Little Sari is my daughter."

"Mother." In a blink of an eye, Saria was behind her mother. She was dressed in a waitress uniform identical to her mother's. "Table Five is looking of their Eucalyptus Wraps. Oh…hi Link!" Saria waved sheepishly. "I didn't know you were here."

"Yeah, I actually came here looking for Zelda. She just wandered in here and I followed," Link explained.

"_Stalker,_" Zelda muttered under her breath.

"Oh really?" Saria placed her hands on her hips. "If anything, she probably came here to make fun of my job? Is that it _Zel-duh?_" She broke her name syllabically.

Zelda folded her arms over her chest. "Whatever. I didn't even know about your job until now. Personally, I don't see what I'd be making fun of you for. It's actually a nice restaurant."

Mrs. Kokiri stepped in for Saria's response. "Why thank you. We take great pride in our family restaurant, the _Deku Tavern_. Sari here, is a wonderful waitress and makes sure our spring water is at the right temperature."

"Oh, so Saria made this." Zelda took another sip of the water and then licked her lips. She then faked a smile directed to Saria. "Well, then. Looks like you serve water much better than you can dance, huh?"

Saria gasped and Link simply rolled his eyes. Saria made a step forward, but her mother only pulled her back. "Sari, be nice to our customers. She's actually a wonderful dancer, Zelda. She's been training all the way back to our days in Kokiri Forest."

"Kokiri Forest?" Link tapped his head, trying to find lost information. He snapped his fingers. "Got it! Isn't that forest a tavern? You took in the sick and shut-in and the homeless, and care for lost children, right?" The elder woman nodded.

"Yeah," Link continued. He turned to Zelda. "My little bro and I were trying to go to that place for weeks. But someone said it was blocked from visitors."

Saria shifted her eyes away from her company. Mrs. Kokiri stepped in once again. "Yes. Saria's grandfather, my father, Deku, had to move here for work. And since the place wasn't being taken care of while we were away, the place had to be shut-down."

"Many people were left homeless again," Saria added quietly.

"Oh, wow." Link's face fell solemnly. "I'm sorry to hear that. That must have been very rough on you guys."

"Very, but we know how to deal. No matter what happens, " Saria said. She wasn't surprised to see Zelda didn't give much care to their sorrow-filled past.

"I think things worked out for the best." All of a sudden, Mrs. Kokiri snorted. "And look at us. Talking when we have customers. You can take a break, Sari, and catch up with your friends."

"Thanks, Mother." As soon as she was out of sight, she slid into the booth next to Link. She gazed into his eyes, getting his attention. "Anyway, there's actually something I want to ask you. You're going to Samus' concert this weekend, right?"

"Of course. Gotta support my friends," Link answered. He then turned his attention to Zelda, cutting Saria out of his sight. "By the way, are you coming as well?"

Saria frowned. _Why does he always have to ask her to everything? Can't he just understand that Zelda will never belong?_

Zelda was surprised by this question. "Her concert? Well, of course I'm not going. It's just like going to raves with a bunch of crazy immature college students. Not my kind of scene."

"Your sister's going," Link announced.

Zelda turned away from him. "I rest my case." She twirled the straw in her water glass. "I have an image to live up to. And if I'm even seen at a club-like concert, I'll be putting my family's fame in jeopardy."

Link rolled his eyes. "Right, right. The image thing. Seriously, you need a new one." He gained giggles from Saria. But only a glower from Zelda."I'm just saying you should go. Better than sitting at home and being a hermit crab."

"Call it what you will. I believe my choice in not going, protects my sanity," Zelda said confidently. She then turned to Saria who just shook her head in disgust. "If you and little Miss Greenie-Green want to go to that idiotic thing, why don't you two go together?"

Saria and Link both exchanged glances. Link suddenly placed a hand on Saria's shoulder. "Sounds like a plan. Saria, you want to come to the concert with me and my friends this weekend?"

A twinkle lit up Saria's blue eyes. "I'd love to."

A bit of sweat rolled down Zelda's face. What did she just do? _Did I just set up those two on a date? Eh…they deserve each other anyway. They can look like complete idiots together. Too bad I won't be there with my video camera to tape it all. _Sure it was easy for her to say that. But she couldn't feel the tiny pang of jealousy creeping in her stomach.

Link grinned back. He then rotated his eyes towards Zelda's unreadable face. "Sure you don't want to go? I assure you it'll be a lot more fun than dancing in your room all night."

"I…I told you already. I don't want to go to some stupid concert!" Zelda snapped. She didn't mean to sound any more angrier than usual. But something strange was going on inside her.

"Hmph, suit yourself," Saria idyllically replied. This was just what she was hoping for. Zelda was out of the way and she would finally have some time with Link. And she knew Zelda was jealous out of her mind.

"Zelda," Link called softly. He knew Zelda wanted to go. But she was just way too stubborn. What was it going to take for this vain heiress to finally be true to herself?

Zelda abruptly stood up, feeling a little out of place. "I just can't stand being around you people. You're always trying to drag me down in the mud with you. I'm nothing like you! So, just stop!"

"But, Zelda." Zelda wished she hadn't stared into Link's eyes. The radiant and beautiful eyes were pleading with her to stay. She quickly gathered her purse and cell phone and walked away from the table. She could hear Link call her name._ Just don't look back, Zelda. You didn't do anything wrong._

"_But you're running away," _Zelda's conscience pointed out. "_Just like this morning when Peach and Link were trying to be friendly. Just accept the love and concern. You need it."_

She wanted to run even faster, but stopped when Link stood up. "Hey! I'll walk you out."

Zelda flipped around angry. "I don't need you to walk me out." Link paid no heed to her words and gently grabbed her hand.

"Of course you do," Link chimed. He turned back to Saria. "I'll be back in a minute."

Saria felt like she should have been angry. But she let it slide. "Okay, I'll be here." She smirked to herself once they were out of sight. _Seems like I've got what I wanted anyway._

Back outside, Zelda finally freed her arm from Link's grasp. "I said I didn't need you to walk me anywhere. Why don't you ever listen to me?" She spotted the H.A.R.K guards' car approaching the restaurant.

"Because you were trying to run away like this morning," Link answered. Zelda froze and looked at the tall blonde. "I wasn't going to let you do it again."

The heiress instantly realized that Link was referring to the moment when Peach and Link were embracing. "I only left because it was all too cheesy. Impa was only leaving for a while and you guys were acting like you were at her funeral."

"It's called love and concern, Zelda." Link's words were sharp and choppy. He didn't know how else to get it through her head. "Maybe if you would take the time to absorb it and act like a real human being..."

Zelda walked away from curb as the car stopped at her side. She never felt so disrespected. "A real human being! Just because I don't act all dorky and sappy like you, my sister, and the rest of your friends, I'm not human?" She stood up tall, looking Link straight in the eye. "Ever think that maybe you're the ones acting weird?"

She didn't give Link a moment to speak. Maybe she could finally silence him for good. "If you haven't learned by now, I didn't come here to make friends. I'm a dancer first! I step on people who try to be my friends. That's the way I was taught to live all my life." She struck her finger in front of his face. "And if that's not okay with you, then maybe you finally see that it's a sign to leave…me…alone!"

To finish her rant, she let out an aggravated cry. She purposely stopped to see if Link had finally given up. He didn't say a single word and only shook his head before turning away. She sighed. _Finally…_

"Is everything alright, Miss Zelda?" One of the H.A.R.K. guardians came to her side of the car in an attempt to protect her from Link. He was a man in his 30's dressed in a solid black suit with black sunglasses. "Is this ruffian bothering you?"

Zelda sighed as the guard opened her car door. "There's nothing to worry about. Just take me home." She kept her eyes focused on the inside of the car, without looking back at the silent Link. She moved to close the car door once inside. But she was stopped when Link's arm barged into the door. She was just going to ask what he was doing when he tapped on the front seat of the car.

"Hey, you. Please take good care of Zelda. Her friends really care about her well-being, so make sure she's never lonely," he spoke. Zelda shrunk a bit when he looked down her. His solemn look had turned into a grin once again. "And that's the truth."

The man in the front seat rolled his eyes. "Step away from the car."

"Gotcha." He patted Zelda on the shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Zelda. Hope you reconsider that concert."

Zelda was lost in confusion. "Um…" Link shut the car door, preventing her from saying anything else. Before she can even look back at him, the car took off in the direction of home.

_He did it again. He lectures me one minute, and then acts like his normal self the next. He's always playing games with my head. _Zelda folded her hands in her lap. _He's been telling about how friendship matters over and over again. I don't want to believe him. But every time he gets that serious look in his eyes, he really makes me think about the people in my life. But especially him. _Could she really trust his words? Zelda didn't know, but she was going to be thinking about this for the rest of the night.

Link smiled a bit. Why did he put up with Zelda Harkinian? She was proud. She was arrogant. She was stubborn. But even so, he knew she was lonely and he was going to help her. And he knew the perfect way to start the process to finding the "real" Zelda.

**The Hostel  
****12:45am**

"Mmm…I need another word." Roy paced the kitchen floor back and forth, tapping a pen against his head. "Why is this hard? I never struggle with finding words, why start now?" Feeling no words seep into his brain, he decided to give up for the moment and shut the notebook on the counter. A bag of potato chips caught his eye. He ravenously grinned. "Just a little brain food might help."

Grabbing the chips quickly, he didn't waste time popping the salty snack into his mouth. Only a few chews went by before his face went grim. _When one of my true loves can't comfort me, then I have a serious problem. Man…why does she have this kind of grip on me? _He laughed at his own question. _You know exactly why. Because you never felt so strongly about a woman as sweet as Peach. She's very deserving of her name. _But Roy knew Peach was untouchable for the moment. And sadly, he was going to have to respect and accept his place in Peach's life. The best friend. The one to be the helpful aide if anything were to go wrong in their relationship.

Roy mischievously grinned. _I can't wait till that day comes. Falcon can't play the suave role for much longer. Then things can return to the way they should be. With Peach coming to me for everything._

A tight tweak sparked in Roy's heart. His evil green envy demon was sparking up again, as Marth would constantly tell him whenever he thought negatively of Falcon. He knew his devious thinking was nothing but selfishness. He thought back to what Krystal had said to him earlier this morning. She told him to not mope, find a way to make himself better. But it was hard to just let her go.

"Roy?" It was as if she had heard his thoughts. Peach was standing over at the doorway, smiling over at him. "What are you doing up this late? Remember that thing called school?"

It was time to act again. Roy casually smiled her way. "I could ask you that same question, young lady. I'm allowed to stay up since I have seniority over you."

"Ha, only by a couple months." She sashayed over towards her friend, eyeing the chip bag in his hand. Automatically, her best friend handed them to her. "Thanks. The best kind of food to have at almost one o' clock in the morning. But seriously, why are you up?" she asked again before eating some of the chips.

"Well…can't say I'm really doing anything productive. Just eating junk food and thinking about stuff," he answered with a hesitant laugh. But his laughter died as quickly as it started when Peach didn't join.

"…what kind of stuff?" she asked more on the demanding side. The chip bag was crackling between her fingers. "Is it something I should know about? It's not about me, is it?"

"W-what?" Roy jumped back, surprised by Peach's assertion. But she was reading him like a book. "Your name may have crossed my mind a couple times. It was nothing life-threatening though."

"Oh," A faint blush came to Peach's cheeks. "I'm sorry, Roy. I didn't mean to sound like some interrogating detective. I've just been worried about you these past couple of weeks."

"So, basically since you and Falcon started dating?" Roy guessed. She nodded before folding her arms behind her dark pink pajama shirt. "Worried about what exactly?" he curiously asked.

"I don't know," she answered quietly. She pushed herself up on the kitchen counter. "I just really think our friendship has been suffering lately. When's the last time we ever hung out together?"

"Good question." _I didn't even think Peach was caring about our change in relationship. Maybe she's missing me more than I thought. _He propped himself on the counter next to her. "But it's not like we should be hanging around together that much anymore. We're just friends and Falcon is your boyfriend." _Man, how I hate saying that. But he's already telling me to stay away from her anyway. Calling me "dead weight" and the reason why Peach has doubts in their relationship. In a way, I'm a threat. _He mentally cheered to himself. _Cool!_

Peach cleared her throat, catching Roy's attention. "You're right. But I know you're still worried about me dating him. Krystal and Fox told me how you've been acting mopey lately."

Roy lowered his eyes. "Such caring friends."

"I'm glad they did." Peach placed a hand on his shoulder. "I do appreciate you pretending to be happy, so I wouldn't worry. But I would have liked to know your true feelings."

"I don't think my true feelings would have helped at all. If I would have straight told you that I don't trust Falcon, do you really think you would have stopped dating?"

"No, I guess not. I just feel guilty because I led you into liking me," she confessed. She held her hand up, stopping Roy from replying. "We became so close throughout the years and then it made you start to have feelings for me."

"Are you saying that you didn't have feelings for me during all those years spent together?" He knew his question shocked her when she turned away from him. "Peach, I want the truth. I don't care what the answer is."

She finally faced him again. "All I can say is that I've always wondered what it would be like to be with you. But, I just couldn't see it happening. Beyond friends, we just don't seem right for each other."

Peach waited for another reply. However, Roy didn't take a turn in response. He was trying to let it all sink in. _Just forget it, Roy. _He pleaded with himself. _This is why it's a hopeless dream. You can't be together with someone who only sees you as an older brother._

"You see?" Peach's soft words broke Roy from his thinking. "This is why I think it's my fault. If we didn't become so close throughout the years, maybe you wouldn't have these feelings for me. You wouldn't be falling for someone you can't rely on. Someone who let you down."

Roy cocked an eyebrow. "Are you serious?" He didn't resist placing an arm around his melancholic friend. "You've let me down in school projects and you've always showed up late for our class presentations. But you've never failed in being my friend. There's no way you can."

There was that feeling again. Peach could never get tired of Roy's caring touch. He always meant it. "I just don't see how that's possible. You've been depressed lately because of me."

"Well…come on, Peach. Though I hate to say it, that's my jealousy flowing through," Roy chuckled, trying to make Peach smile. "The girl I like is dating some dude that I'm really not too fond of. If you ask me, that's grounds for jealous friend. Wouldn't you say?"

"I suppose." Peach wasn't too convinced. " I can't get over how honest you are about yourself. But you know I don't like seeing you sad. You're supposed to be the happy one in our group of friends."

"Well…depression is a hard thing to get up from. But you know that I'm willing to try and get back up for you." Roy squeezed her shoulder affectionately. "Your happiness matters a lot to me."

"Roy, this just isn't fair." Peach suddenly hopped off the counter. "You're just being way too nice to me. Someone else should be getting this kind of attention."

Roy smirked and jumped off the counter after her. "Possibly. But until that person comes, you're stuck with me. You're a very lucky girl to have me as a friend. I mean without me, you'd probably be curled up in the fetal position."

It was now becoming clear to Peach why she loved their friendship. So much support and care. She finally caved in. "You're right. How can I ever thank you?"

Roy scratched his chin, thinking up a proposal. "There's actually one way you can. You really want that special friendship time? Prove it." He looked down at his friend with daring eyes. "Since your boyfriend is gone till Friday evening, hang out with me for the rest of the week. We can make up for lost time."

"Mmm…" Peach didn't know if she was breaking any relationship codes. But it wasn't like she was going to shut her friend out of her life. "Sounds like a plan to me. You'll most likely want to spend the day doing your two favorite things: video games and eating food."

"Heh, I knew we were best friends. I'll start scheduling the restaurants we'll be dining at," he laughed. And this time, it felt even more real because Peach was joining in."Can't wait. But Peach, I am sorry for worrying you though. Really."

"As long as you accept my apology of being so neglectful towards our friendship," She offered. "...apology accepted."

Roy held out his hand for Peach to shake and then pulled her close for a friendly hug. "...and accepted." He glanced at the clock reading 1:03am. "I better let you get to sleep. Classes in the morning."

Peach pulled away from him. "Mm-hmm. And then time to hang out after class." She grinned happily before grabbing the bag of chips off the counter. She popped a chip into her mouth, taunting Roy by stealing his snack. She stuck her hand in the bag again as she headed out the kitchen door. "I'll talk to you in the morning. Don't stay up too late."

"Alright. Night, Peachie." He called. He felt himself grin even wider when Peach giggled even more while going up the stairs.

Once she was at a far enough distance, he reopened his notebook and ripped out a certain page. After crumpling it and throwing it aside, he used his pen to write another note on his paper. He smiled as the words formed on his paper.

_When my princess denied my love  
__I was pushed into hurtful despair  
__I always try to forget about her_

_But it's these moments when we are together  
That I start to remember why I love her  
I still have to compete with this champion in her life  
The champion that has won her heart so easily in time_

_But my friend, I'm never one to give up just like that  
When you're in love, you find the hidden strength  
The strength to keep chasing after your love  
My princess is still traveling on her solo journey  
To find that special thing she needs in her life  
And I'm always going to be following after her_

_And I mean…always  
Love is a really captivating emotion_

**End of Chapter**

* * *

**A/N: **_. Okay, checklist. Covered some pairings. Check. (Even some PeachxFalcon love for the fans! Heh, but I don't know if there are any.) Emotions running haywire. Check. Secrets, Twists, and Information. Check. (I'm sure most of you weren't surprise that Roy was our mystery writer.) And lots and lots of drama. **CHECK CHECK CHECK!**_ _Coolio!_

_Alright, I hope that was enough to make up for my late update. If not, I'm really sorry. But thanks for putting up with me anyway and my super slow updates. I'm working on it. Anyway thanks for reading and reviews are always appreciated and huggled with love!_

_See ya lovelies!_

_**Royal Kenya **_


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